HR0668 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0668 LRB098 14697 GRL 49560 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Raymond H. Neisewander, Jr.; and

WHEREAS, Raymond Neisewander, Jr. was born on May 30, 1932 in Springfield; he was the oldest son of Ray, Sr. and Audrienne (nee Murphy) Neisewander; he married Jean Baxter on November 30, 1957, and they divorced in 1987; he met Kim Danreiter in 1997, and they married on June 29, 2002; and

WHEREAS, After attending elementary school in Springfield, Raymond Neisewander, Jr. attended the Marmion Military Academy in Aurora, where he graduated in 1951; after attending Springfield Junior College and the University of Illinois, he served in the United States Army in the Panama Canal Zone from 1954 to 1956; and

WHEREAS, In 1956, Raymond Neisewander, Jr. started a Raynor garage door dealership in Bettendorf, Iowa; he then moved to Raynor's headquarters in Dixon in 1961; in 1968, he was promoted to Executive Vice President and a member of the management team, where he launched and managed the organization's trucking division, Raynor Express, Inc.; in 1979, he became the President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board for Raynor, Kwik-Wall of Springfield, and the Raynor Hotel Corporation; and

WHEREAS, Raymond Neisewander, Jr. was an active member of the Dixon community; he served on the governing boards of the Dixon Airport, Amcore (Dixon National) Bank, Dixon United Way, Dixon Family YMCA, and Wahl Clipper Corporation; he was also known for his generosity to a long list of community events and organizations, such as the Dixon Public Library, Dixon public and parochial schools, the Dixon Theatre Renovation, the Northern Illinois Cancer Treatment Center, the Dixon Petunia Festival, the Dixon Industrial Development Association, the Dixon Public School District Foundation, the Dixon Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and many other local charities; and

WHEREAS, Raymond Neisewander, Jr. began serving on the board of the National Association of Garage Door Manufacturers in 1972; he served as the board's president from 1973 to 1974 and served as treasurer from 1986 to 1996; in 2006, the International Door Association named Raymond Neisewander, Jr. and Raymond Neisewander III as the recipient of the industry's first Heritage Award for outstanding contributions to the garage door industry; that same year, Raymond Neisewander, Jr. and Raynor were recognized as the Illinois' Family Business of the Year by the Family Business Center of Loyola University of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, In 1993, Raymond Neisewander, Jr. was honored by the Illinois State Board of Education with the prestigious Award of Excellence for his longstanding support of schools; in 1996, the Dixon Area Chamber of Commerce presented him with its annual Lifetime Achievement Award; and

WHEREAS, Raymond Neisewander, Jr. was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Margaret Bradley his great-granddaughter, Malia Hammond; and

WHEREAS, Raymond Neisewander, Jr. is survived by his wife, Kim Neisewander; his sons, Ray (Cindy) Neisewander III, Todd Neisewander, and Dan (Tara) Yanes; his daughters, Tammy (Steve) Reuter, Jennifer Danreiter, Debra Neisewander, Pamela (Tony) Russo, Karla (Ken) Shioi, Darcy (Brian) Boatman, and Lori (Jason) Burchell; his 26 grandchildren; his 2 great-grandchildren; his siblings, Catherine (Ed) Vespa, Patricia (Bill) Harford, Eleanora (George) Lyons, and Jack (Dee) Neisewander, Sr.; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his family and friends, mourn the passing of Raymond H. Neisewander, Jr.; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Raymond Neisewander, Jr. as a symbol of our sympathy.