SR0860 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0860 LRB099 13577 MST 37522 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Richard Allen "Dick" Welton, former Mayor of Gurnee, who passed away on July 31, 2015; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Welton was born on September 6, 1942 to Arthur and Mary Welton; he graduated from Warren Township High School in 1961 and from Carthage College in 1965, later serving on its board; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Welton took over management responsibilities of the Welton's Food Mart and helped it grow into a 5 store chain, employing over 1000 dedicated team members; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Welton was appointed as a Village of Gurnee Trustee in 1971; 2 years later, he was elected Mayor of Gurnee at the age of 30, the youngest Mayor in Illinois at the time; he retained this position for the next 28 years and led the expansion of Gurnee from a small village to a thriving community bringing in Great America, Gurnee Mills, and virtually every major residential and commercial development; he was the first Lake County Mayor to serve as President of the Illinois Municipal League; he took great pride in his work with the Lake County Joint Action Water Agency and served as its first President; he was responsible for the formation of the Lake County Storm Water Management Commission following the 1986 record flood in Gurnee; he was a member of the PACE board for past 20 years and was on the Gurnee Economic Development Committee; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Welton was an active member of the Gurnee Exchange club for over 35 years, being honored with the "Book of Golden Deeds" award; he was instrumental in the development of the Gurnee Days Corporation, the Gurnee Park District, and the Warren Newport Library; he worked on the "Save Great Lakes Naval Station" campaign; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Welton was a lifelong member of the Gurnee Community Church; he was elected to the Warren Township High School Hall of Fame in the early 1990s; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Welton was preceded in death by his parents; his father-in-law, Don Shannon; his brother and sister-in-law, Art and Lynn Welton; and his nephew, A.G. Hancock; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Welton is survived by his beloved wife, Debby (Shannon); his children, Natalie (Ross) Ellis, Dick (Maria) Welton, Jr., Stacy (Owen) Evans, Brett (Amy) Schmidt, and Kristan (Mike) Kolar; his grandchildren, Erika, Liam, Kaitlyn, Angelina, Jake, Jackson, and John; his mother-in-law, Marilyn Fredrickson; his in-laws, Donna (Guy) Flaschner, Don (Lisa) Shannon, and Richard (Mario) Shannon; and his siblings, Maryann (Dr. Manooch) Sharifi, Harry (Gail) Welton, Martha (Marvin) Schmidt, Bill (Annette) Welton, Sara (Al) Hancock, and Nancy (Jim) Hayner; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Richard Allen "Dick" Welton, 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 Mayor Welton as an expression of our deepest sympathy.