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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Wayne E. Van Dyke of Gurnee, who passed
4away on July 26, 2012; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Wayne Van Dyke was born on May 29, 1924, in
6Assumption; as a child, he lived in Havana until his family
7moved to Champaign; he married Frances Matijevich on November
89, 1957, at Holy Family Church; after his marriage, he and his
9wife lived in Waukegan before relocating to Blythe, California;
10the family subsequently lived in Fort Meyers, Florida and
11Gurnee; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Wayne Van Dyke attended the University of Illinois
13before enlisting in the United States Army at the age of 18; as
14a member of Company B, 41st Tank Battalion, 11th Armored
15Division of General George Patton's 3rd Army, he saw combat
16during World War II in the Battle of the Bulge and fought
17throughout Europe, from France to Austria as a gunner, and
18subsequently as a tank commander; he was the recipient of the
19Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the British
20Military Medal, and Luxembourg's Croix de Guerre for his
21meritorious service; and
 
22    WHEREAS, After his service with the Army, Wayne Van Dyke

 

 

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1resumed his education and earned a bachelor's degree in
2engineering from the University of Illinois in Champaign; he
3subsequently undertook graduate studies at Lake Forest
4College's Graduate School of Management; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Wayne Van Dyke retired from Johns-Manville Corp.
6as a senior industrial engineer after 26 years of service; from
71963 to 1969, he and his family moved to Blythe, California and
8learned to enjoy the desert while operating their motel; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Wayne Van Dyke was a member of Johns-Manville's
10Quarter Century Club, the 11th Armored Division Association,
11and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Fort Meyers, Florida chapter;
12and
 
13    WHEREAS, Wayne Van Dyke enjoyed golfing, fishing, playing
14cards and games with his friends and grandchildren, and
15attending annual reunions with his army buddies and TNK College
16friends; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Wayne Van Dyke was preceded in death by his
18granddaughter, Kathryn Joanna Walin; his parents, S. Howard and
19Nellie Van Dyke; and his brothers, Neil and Lindell Van Dyke;
20and
 
21    WHEREAS, Wayne Van Dyke is survived by his wife of 54

 

 

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1years, Frances; his children, Michael (Natasha), David
2(Karen), and Ann (John) Walin; his grandchildren, John "Jack"
3and Kristina "Kristy" Walin, Devin and John Van Dyke, and
4Alexander Van Dyke; his sister, Alice (Andrew) Ekblaw; his
5sisters-in-law, Joanne Van Dyke and Julia Van Dyke, and their
6families; his in-laws, Rose Matijevich and John (Agnes)
7Matijevich, and their son, Robert John; and his long time
8neighbor, Charles Carpenter, and his nephew, John Rice;
9therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
11ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
12his family and friends, the passing of Wayne Van Dyke; and be
13it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15presented to the family of Wayne Van Dyke as an expression of
16our sympathy.