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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
| 3 | learn of the death of Harry Stewart of Benton, who passed away | ||||||
| 4 | on September 18, 2011; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, He was born November 24, 1929, in Benton, the son | ||||||
| 6 | of Alex and Stella (Pusch) Stewart; he married the former | ||||||
| 7 | Miriam Whaley on July 16, 1954; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, He grew up in West City, the son of immigrant | ||||||
| 9 | parents, and was an All-State football player for Benton High | ||||||
| 10 | School; he received more than 80 college football scholarship | ||||||
| 11 | offers and chose to attend the University of South Carolina, | ||||||
| 12 | where he was a three-year starter as offensive and defensive | ||||||
| 13 | tackle; in his senior year of college, he was drafted into the | ||||||
| 14 | Army during the Korean conflict; at the time, he had received | ||||||
| 15 | draft letters from every professional American and Canadian | ||||||
| 16 | football team; however, his military service prohibited him | ||||||
| 17 | from pursuing a career in professional football; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, Upon his discharge from the Army, he finished his | ||||||
| 19 | teaching degree at SIU Carbondale; he taught high school and | ||||||
| 20 | coached football at both Herrin High School and Benton | ||||||
| 21 | Consolidated High School; he was inducted into the Illinois | ||||||
| 22 | High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1986; | ||||||
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| 1 | and | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, He began his political career on the Benton City | ||||||
| 3 | Council, where he served as finance commissioner; he then | ||||||
| 4 | served on the Franklin County Board, representing District 2 | ||||||
| 5 | for 16 years, 12 of which he held the position of county board | ||||||
| 6 | chairman; he was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, the | ||||||
| 7 | Boneyard Bocce Ball Club, the Benton American Legion, and the | ||||||
| 8 | Benton Elks; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his parents; his | ||||||
| 10 | brothers, Steve and Nick Stewart; his sisters, Anna O'Connell | ||||||
| 11 | and Stella Perino; and his niece, Iris Hampleman; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, Harry Stewart is survived by his wife of 57 years, | ||||||
| 13 | Miriam Stewart; his children, Lex and Shannon Stewart, Laura | ||||||
| 14 | Stewart, and Kelly Stewart; his grandsons, Alex and Christy | ||||||
| 15 | Stewart, Jon Pulliam, and Landon Stewart; his great-grandsons, | ||||||
| 16 | Daniel Stewart Hobbs and Braxton Stewart; his nephews, Steve | ||||||
| 17 | Stewart and Nick Stewart Jr.; his niece, Jane Stewart-Lau; and | ||||||
| 18 | several great-nieces and great-nephews; therefore, be it
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| 19 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL | ||||||
| 20 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with | ||||||
| 21 | his family and friends, the passing of Harry Stewart; and be it | ||||||
| 22 | further
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| 1 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 2 | presented to the family of Harry Stewart as a symbol of our | ||||||
| 3 | sincere sympathy.
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