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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Ronnie Cruzat Lewis of Dolton, who passed
4away on December 3, 2014; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Ronnie Lewis was born in Lexington, Mississippi on
6December 22, 1944 to Ulysses and Mirian Lindsey Lewis; he
7graduated from the Lexington Attendance Center and Tennessee
8State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in
9Industrial Education; he earned his Master of Arts in
10Administration and Supervision from Roosevelt University in
11Chicago; he married Mary Blackwell on June 22, 1968 in
12Indianapolis, Indiana; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Ronnie Lewis worked as a teacher and administrator
14at Harlan Community Academy for over 30 years, where he served
15as acting principal, assistant principal, department
16chairperson, and summer school program manager; while there, he
17also served as Chairperson of the Professional Personnel
18Advisory Committee, as Union Representative for the Chicago
19Teachers Union, and as Chairperson of the Professional Problems
20Committee; in May of 1998, he was endorsed by the Chicago Board
21of Education at Chicago State University; he retired as
22assistant principal in 2000; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Ronnie Lewis settled his family in the Village of
2Dolton in 1980, becoming one of the few African American
3families in the village; in 1991, he became the first African
4American trustee; he was appointed interim mayor in November of
52008 and was elected mayor in April of 2009; as mayor of
6Dolton, he was committed to improving the quality of life; he
7placed an emphasis on job creation, public safety, public
8participation, and infrastructure improvement; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Ronnie Lewis took the first of many trips to Ghana
10in 2007; he helped provide books, laptops, and infrastructure
11improvements for clean water; as part of African tradition, he
12was appointed Chief of Dodofie and given the Kingship name Nana
13Osabarimba; in 2012, the first water borehole was built in
14Kadjebi, and in 2014, it was named the "Mayor Ronnie Lewis
15Borehole"; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Ronnie Lewis was preceded in death by his parents
17and step-parents, Ulysses and Louise Dixon Lewis and Athaniel
18and Mirian Lindsey Moody; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Ronnie Lewis is survived by his wife of 46 years,
20Mary; his twin daughters, Angeline G. Lewis and Angelique K.
21Lewis; his brother, Lawrence Lewis; his sister, Angela Y.
22Moody; his uncle, Fred J. Lindsey; his 2 aunts, Edna Antee
23Lewis and Muriel Lindsey Sullivan; his 3 godchildren, Joni West

 

 

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1Driver, Natalie Mingo, and Willis Arnold Harris, III; his 2
2brothers-in-law, Herschell Lavell and Howard (Towannda) Means;
3his 4 sisters-in-law, Alaine Lewis, LaNatta Means, Twana Clark
4(Danny) Gurien, and Carolyn Means; and many other loving
5relatives and treasured friends; therefore, be it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
7ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
8Ronnie Cruzat Lewis, and extend our sincere condolences to his
9family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
10further
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12presented to the family of Ronnie Lewis as an expression of our
13deepest sympathy.