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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Robert W. | ||||||
| 4 | Duncan of Marion, who passed away on October 12, 2013; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Robert Duncan was born on December 20, 1920 in | ||||||
| 6 | Marion to Absalom Wesley and Nellie Mae (nee Drake) Duncan; he | ||||||
| 7 | graduated from Marion High School and attended Southern | ||||||
| 8 | Illinois University in Carbondale for 3 years before joining | ||||||
| 9 | the United States Navy; he married Evelyn Russell on March 7, | ||||||
| 10 | 1943 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Robert Duncan joined the Navy at age 21 and had a | ||||||
| 12 | 26-year military career; he was one of the original members of | ||||||
| 13 | the "Fighting Five" of the USS Yorktown, also dubbed "The | ||||||
| 14 | Fighting Lady"; he earned the title "Fighter Ace" for the | ||||||
| 15 | numerous successful aerial combat missions he was involved in | ||||||
| 16 | during World War II; in recognition of his success, he was | ||||||
| 17 | awarded the Navy Cross, the Navy's highest honor for | ||||||
| 18 | extraordinary heroism, skilled airmanship, courage, and | ||||||
| 19 | gallant devotion to duty in the face of overwhelming | ||||||
| 20 | opposition; he was credited with flying more than 100 missions | ||||||
| 21 | during World War II and the Korean War; he was honorably | ||||||
| 22 | discharged in 1966 with the rank of naval captain; his exploits | ||||||
| 23 | in the air were documented in 2007 in a History Channel series | ||||||
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| 1 | entitled "Dogfights", about World War II fighter pilots; and
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| 2 | WHEREAS, Robert Duncan became a real estate broker with | ||||||
| 3 | Rodd Realty of Marion for several years following his | ||||||
| 4 | retirement from the Navy; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Robert Duncan served as Chairman of the Williamson | ||||||
| 6 | County Regional Airport Board for 21 years, President of the | ||||||
| 7 | Illinois Regional Airport Association, and Vice-President of | ||||||
| 8 | Central Technology, Incorporated of Herrin; he was also a | ||||||
| 9 | member of Marion Elks Lodge Benevolent and Protective Order of | ||||||
| 10 | Elks No. 800, a 32nd Degree Mason, and a lifetime member of the | ||||||
| 11 | Marion Veterans of Foreign Wars Heyde-Pillow Post 1301; in | ||||||
| 12 | 2001, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the | ||||||
| 13 | Marion Area Chamber of Commerce; he was a longtime member of | ||||||
| 14 | the First Baptist Church of Marion; and | ||||||
| 15 | WHEREAS, Robert Duncan was preceded in death by his parents | ||||||
| 16 | and by his brother, Carl Duncan; and
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| 17 | WHEREAS, Robert Duncan is survived by his wife, Evelyn | ||||||
| 18 | Duncan; his daughter, Janice L. (Scott) Magruder; his son, | ||||||
| 19 | Steven L. Duncan; his grandson, David (Crystal) Magruder; his | ||||||
| 20 | granddaughter, Heather (Brian) Townsend; his | ||||||
| 21 | great-granddaughters, Devon Hayley Magruder and Madalynn Grace | ||||||
| 22 | Magruder; and other extended family and many friends; | ||||||
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| 1 | therefore, be it
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| 2 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 3 | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 4 | we mourn the passing of Robert W. Duncan and extend our sincere | ||||||
| 5 | condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved | ||||||
| 6 | him; and be it further
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| 7 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 8 | presented to the family of Robert Duncan as an expression of | ||||||
| 9 | our deepest sympathy.
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