SR1345 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1345 LRB098 21956 MST 60819 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Bruce Edward Saurs of East Peoria, who passed away on July 10, 2014; and

WHEREAS, Bruce Saurs was born on July 9, 1926 in Peoria to Edward and Gertrude Marie (nee Ambrose) Saurs; he graduated from Peoria High School in 1944 and Bradley University in 1949, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity; he served in the United States Army Air Forces from 1945 to 1946, stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany; he also served in the Illinois Air National Guard, 169th Fighter Squadron from 1951 to 1954; he married Norma Bloom on October 17, 1952; after her passing he married Mary Whitman on June 10, 1999; after her passing he married Rebecca Williams on June 16, 2012; and

WHEREAS, While still a student at Bradley University, Bruce Saurs coached Peoria's Lee Grade School to 4 city basketball titles against much larger schools; in 1951, he helped establish the first Little League Baseball program in Peoria, and, in 1955, he acted as a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates and was responsible for them signing Peoria's own Leon Hurst; and

WHEREAS, For 6 years, starting in 1949, Bruce Saurs was a teacher at Peoria High School, where he also was an assistant basketball coach and head baseball coach; he entered the automobile industry in 1956 as a salesman, and by 1961, had worked his way up to general sales manager; in 1963, he went to work for Lynn Velde and became a partner in Velde Ford in 1965; they purchased Arnold Ford in Vero Beach, Florida in 1976; the partners started Velde Lincoln Volvo of Peoria in 1984, which was followed by Velde Cadillac Buick GMC in 1987; Bruce later opened the Corner Store on Main Street and Bruce Saurs' Black Rabbit bar, both in Downtown Peoria; and

WHEREAS, Bruce Saurs saved professional hockey in Peoria not once but twice, starting in 1989 with his purchase of the Rivermen from the city of Peoria; in 1996, he and a partner started an International Hockey League (IHL) franchise in San Antonio, Texas; both were manifestations of his lifelong love of athletics; he owned 2 professional hockey teams in 4 different leagues over 20 years; the Rivermen won the IHL's Turner Cup in 1991, along the way setting a professional hockey record with 18 consecutive wins; the Rivermen also earned an East Coast Hockey League title in 2000; the Peoria Rivermen player who exemplifies commitment and leadership both on and off the ice now receives the Bruce E. Saurs Leadership Award, and each Rivermen home opener is designated Bruce Saurs Hockey Night; and

WHEREAS, Among his many honors, Bruce Saurs was a recipient of the Neve Harms Meritorious Service to Sports Award and the United Cerebral Palsy Community Service Award, and he was inducted into the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame in 1996; he was a recipient of Bradley's Distinguished Alumnus Award and was named to the university's elite Centurion Society; he chaired the Salvation Army's Tree of Lights campaign, and he was grand marshal of Peoria's 2013 Santa Claus Parade; he was also a member of the Pekin and Mount Hawley country clubs and the Country Club of Peoria; and

WHEREAS, Bruce Saurs was preceded in death by his first wife, Norma, and by his second wife, Mary; and

WHEREAS, Bruce Saurs is survived by his wife, Rebecca; his sons, Michael Saurs, Tim (Lori) Saurs, and Scott (Suzette) Saurs; his grandchildren, Lynzie (Luke) Gruden, Stacie (Mike) Swingle, and Ryan (fiancee, Tara Kulkarni) Saurs; his great-grandchildren, Brady, Owen, and Gibby Gruden and Selah and Maya Swingle; his 2 stepsons, Brian (Elizabeth) Morris and Jason (Catherine) Morris; his step-grandchildren, Levi, Adeline, and James Morris; and his beloved dog, Coco; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Bruce Edward Saurs, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Bruce Saurs as an expression of our deepest sympathy.