SR1420 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate were saddened to learn of the passing of one of our oldest and dearest friends, Bill Luking, on June 12, 2014; and

WHEREAS, William H. Luking was born on August 7, 1947 in Connersville, Indiana, the eldest of the 9 children of Lowell and Elizabeth McCarthy Luking; he graduated from Connersville High School in 1965, graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1969, and graduated from Northwestern University Law School in 1972; he later served his country as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve; and

WHEREAS, Bill Luking was one of the Senate's most knowledgeable advocates; he was a wise expert who understood State, local, and federal law; he loved his work and its focus on complex issues involving taxation, economic development, public pensions, and mass transit; and

WHEREAS, Beginning in 1986 under the administration of Mayor Harold Washington, Bill Luking represented the City of Chicago with commitment and skill; he would go on to serve as a key advocate for the City for nearly 30 more years under Mayors Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel; and

WHEREAS, Bill Luking's talents, skills, and vast knowledge helped him fight for millions of Chicagoans, conservationists, and nature lovers as he represented the Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Transit Authority, the City Colleges of Chicago, and - one of his favorites - the Chicago Botanic Garden; and

WHEREAS, In his years of distinguished service, Bill Luking was instrumental in the passage of some of the most significant laws affecting Chicago and its landscape, including the construction of the new Comiskey Park, now U.S. Cellular Field; the expansion of Soldier Field; the privatization of Midway Airport; strengthening the City's authority over its school system; and reforms that helped preserve the solvency of Chicago's pension system and the retirement security of countless numbers of municipal workers; and

WHEREAS, Bill Luking and his firm, Luking and Associates, L.L.C., were proud of their pro bono work on behalf of the Chicago Christian Industrial League, Tuesday's Child, the Howard Area Community Association, the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center, and the Southwest Youth Collaborative; and

WHEREAS, Bill Luking was well known and respected by the members and staff of the Illinois Senate for his great knowledge of national, State, and local law, his genial and honest nature, and his unwavering dedication to our State and its citizens; whether they were advocating on the same side of an issue or in opposition to him, his peers regarded him as an intelligent, forthright, and honest advocate who paved the way for legislative success for many generations of newcomers to the Illinois State Capitol; and

WHEREAS, Bill Luking was universally regarded as a gentleman and a scholar, as well as a man of warmth and humor; and

WHEREAS, Bill Luking is survived by his siblings, Laura (Peter) Jamison, Meg Luking, Mary Anne Morris, Beth Luking, Gene (Debbie) Luking, Joe (Johnnie) Luking, Charlene (Larry) Wood, and Rosemary (Jay) Card; 13 nieces and nephews; 13 great-nieces and great-nephews; and his friend and companion, Claire Manning; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his family and friends, mourn the passing of Bill Luking; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Bill Luking as a symbol of our deep sympathies and great esteem.