SR1570 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1570 LRB099 20868 GRL 45638 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Ralph W. Thoma of McHenry, who passed away on January 28, 2016; and

WHEREAS, Ralph Thoma was born on April 18, 1944 in Chicago; his parents were Matthew and Myrtle (nee Schmook) Thoma; he moved with his family the age of 12 to a lakefront home on McCullom Lake at the age of 12; and

WHEREAS, Ralph Thoma was a 1962 graduate of McHenry High School; the following year, be became a member of the drum and bugle band for Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #4600; he graduated from DeVry Technical Institute as an electronics technician on September 4, 1964; and

WHEREAS, Ralph Thoma entered the United States Army in June of 1965 and served in Vietnam; he received an aircraft maintenance diploma and a single rotor turbine utility helicopter maintenance course diploma, and worked on the double-bladed Chinook helicopter; and

WHEREAS, After being discharged from the Army in 1967, Ralph Thoma tended bar for a time at The Question Mark in McHenry; the bar's owner, Roger Beu, would become an important part of Ralph's career by employing him for welding jobs; when Roger Beu founded a new business, B & R Erectors, Ralph began his career there, working on the installation, repair, and relocation of bleachers in school gyms and sports fields; the position took him all over the United States; he also designed and installed the stadium seats in Willow Creek Church in Barrington and the seating at Soldier Field; he returned to B & R after his retirement from there, working on building and putting together motors for bleachers until October of 2015; and

WHEREAS, Ralph Thoma was a member of the Fox Lake American Legion Post 703, McHenry Moose Lodge 691, a lifetime member of PLAV Post #188, and a lifetime member and the first Vietnam veteran to be made commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4600 in McHenry; he was also a member of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in McHenry; and

WHEREAS, Ralph Thoma was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Ray (Ann) Thoma; and

WHEREAS, Ralph Thoma is survived by his wife of 28 years, Pam; his step-children, Kym (Phil) Belyaev and Kevin (Valerie) Diedrich; his grandchildren, Drew, Kati, Zach, Lexi, Colleen, and Ryan; and his brothers, Robert Thoma, Ron (Maureen) Thoma, and Michael (Karen) Thoma; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his family and friends, mourn the passing of Ralph W. Thoma; and be it further

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