HR0944LRB098 20662 GRL 57343 r


  
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Thornal 
4Washington, who passed away on March 15, 2014; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, Thornal Washington was born on May 28, 1924; he 
6married Opal Warren on April 15, 1943; together, they had 2 
7children, Victor Washington and Gail Johnson; and
  
 
8    WHEREAS, Thornal Washington was a graduate of Dunbar High 
9School in Texarkana, Texas and earned his bachelor's  degree 
10from Governors State University; and
  
 
11    WHEREAS, Thornal Washington made a career out of civic 
12service to the  younger  residents  of Chicago Heights; he began 
13his career in civic service in  1949,  when  he organized the 
14Chicago Heights Improvement Association and served on the  Board  
15of  Directors  for  10  years;  from  1951  to  1961,  he served as an 
16Advisory Board Member of Girl Scout Troop #621 in Chicago 
17Heights; from 1951 to 1994, he served as a Board of Directors 
18member and  fiscal administrator of Calvary Missionary Baptist 
19Church in Chicago Heights;  from  1957  to  1966,  he served as a 
20member of the Chicago Heights Planning Commission; from 1957  to  
211963,  he   served  as  the  business  manager  for  the  Chicago Heights 
22Community Choir; from  1957  to  1961,  he  served  as  chief 
 
 
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1organizer  and  coach of the Kool Kids Girls Softball Team in 
2Chicago Heights from  1959  to  1967,  he  served  as  a community  
3service  worker for the Illinois Youth Commission; and
 
4    WHEREAS, From  1960  to  1962, Thornal  Washington  served  as    
5Chairman  of  the  South Suburban Law and Order Committee; in    
61960,  he  organized  and  established  the  Chicago  Heights    
7Community  Youth  Committee;  in  1961,  he   organized   and    
8established   the   East   Chicago  Heights  Community  Youth    
9Committee; from  1968  to  1973,  he  served  as  Corrections    
10Community  Service  Worker  for  the  Illinois  Department of  
11Corrections, Juvenile Division, Community Services; in  1971,   
12he organized a series of state-wide Governor's Conferences on   
13Youth;  from  1973  to  1976,  he  served as Corrections  Community 
14Service Supervisor for the Illinois  Department  of   Corrections; 
15and
 
16    WHEREAS, In 1974, Thornal  Washington  organized Hickory 
17House, a  group home for juvenile boys, in Chicago Heights; in 
181974,  he served as liaison  for  Bloom,  Thornton,  and  Rich  High   
19Schools  to  address  the  issue  of  student  unrest, drugs,    
20vandalism, and assault; in 1975, he served as a member of the    
21Task Force on Regionalization for the Illinois Department  of    
22Corrections;   and   in  1976,  he  served  on  the  Illinois    Commission 
23on  Delinquency  Prevention,  which  replaced  the    Community  
24Service  Unit,  for  the  Illinois  Department  of    Corrections; and
 
 
 
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1    WHEREAS, Thornal Washington served as Executive    Director 
2of the Chicago Heights Community  Youth  Committee District  
3Supervisor for the Chicago Area Project for over 20 years; and
  
 
4    WHEREAS, For  over  50  years,  Thornal  Washington  dedicated 
5his  life  to  serving  the  younger  residents  of    Chicago  Heights; 
6his dedication, commitment, and service set an example for them 
7to follow for  generations  to  come; therefore, be it
  
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
9NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
10we, along with his family and friends, mourn the passing of 
11Thornal Washington; and be it further
  
 
12    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
13presented to the family of Thornal Washington as an expression 
14of our sympathy.