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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of W. Charles Witte of Bloomington, who
4passed away on April 10, 2016; and
 
5    WHEREAS, W. Charles Witte was born on September 21, 1941 in
6Chicago; his parents were Dr. William B. and Caroline Hess
7Witte; he married Donna Vera Skrinskus on October 12, 1968; and
 
8    WHEREAS, W. Charles Witte graduated from Bloomington High
9School in 1959; he was drafted in the United States Army in
101966, graduated from the United States Army Officer Candidate
11School in Fort Benning, Georgia in 1967, and served as an
12Intelligence Officer in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968, where he
13taught English to Vietnamese school teachers, and taught
14interrogation at the United States Army Intelligence School in
15Fort Holabird, Maryland from 1968 to 1969; he graduated from
16Illinois State University in 1971, where he served as President
17of the Student Body from 1970 to 1971 and initiated the Student
18Legal Services Program; he later received his Juris Doctor from
19the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1975; he was also
20a 1980 graduate of the National Judicial College and a 1982
21graduate of the National College of Juvenile and Family Court
22Judges; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, After college, W. Charles Witte returned to
2Bloomington and practiced law with the firm of Pratt, Larkin,
3Witte, and Sternberg, P.C. from 1975 until he was appointed
4Associate Circuit Judge in December of 1978; he was
5subsequently elected as McLean County Resident Circuit Judge in
6November of 1988 and retained as a Circuit Judge in 1994 and
72000; he retired from the bench in December of 2001; and
 
8    WHEREAS, W. Charles Witte was appointed by the Illinois
9Supreme Court to chair the state-wide Judicial Education
10Conference from 1986 to 1988; he served as faculty member for
11numerous Judicial Conference and Illinois State Bar
12Association Education Programs; he was a member of the
13American, Illinois, and McLean County Bar Associations and the
14Illinois Trial Lawyers Association; he was also a founding
15member and President (2000-2001) of the Robert C. Underwood
16American Inn of Court; and
 
17    WHEREAS, In 1980, W. Charles Witte developed and for 20
18years taught a Criminal Justice Education Program for over
191,800 sixth grade students visiting his courtroom each year;
20the presentation has been used as a model by other judicial
21circuits; and
 
22    WHEREAS, W. Charles Witte was an active Bloomington Kiwanis
23Club member for 38 years, serving as the organization's

 

 

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1President in 1985 and 1986 and the recipient of the George F.
2Hixon Award in 1998; he served as a member of the BroMenn
3Healthcare Board of Directors for 9 years and was the
4organization's Chairman from 2000 to 2003; he served as a
5member of the Bloomington Country Club Board of Directors for 6
6years; he served on the Illinois State University Foundation
7Board for 19 years and was the organization's Vice-Chair from
81982 to 1988; he served on the ISU Alumni Association Board for
920 years and was the organization's President from 1975 to
101977; he also served on the Bloomington Fire and Police
11Commission from 2008 to 2015 and a board member of the Illinois
12Wesleyan Associates; and
 
13    WHEREAS, W. Charles Witte was awarded the E. Burton Mercier
14Alumni Service Award in 1998 and was inducted into the BHS Hall
15of Fame in 2007; and
 
16    WHEREAS, W. Charles Witte was a member of Second
17Presbyterian Church for over 50 years; he served as an usher,
18trustee, elder, and senior high camp counselor; he also served
19as a board member of the Immanuel Bible Foundation for over 20
20years and was the organization's President from 2005 to 2011;
21and
 
22    WHEREAS, W. Charles Witte was an avid cyclist and enjoyed
23countless rides with his friends, including the Youstabees; he

 

 

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1looked forward to meeting every week with his Wednesday morning
2breakfast group; he also loved living in and taking care of
3Spring Ridge and spending time with his grandchildren; and
 
4    WHEREAS, W. Charles Witte was preceded in death by his
5parents; his brother, Dr. Craig H. Witte; and his sister, Jo
6Karyl Berens; and
 
7    WHEREAS, W. Charles Witte is survived by his wife, Donna;
8his daughters, Drs. Alison Jane (Keith Anthony) Gildehaus and
9Elizabeth Ann (Joseph Donald) Edmondson; his grandchildren,
10Katelyn Reese, Emerson Lane Gildehaus, and William David and
11John Charles Edmondson; his nephews, Christopher (Beckie)
12Witte and Adam (Candice Smith) Witte; his nieces, Sally Berens
13(Ryan Postma) and their children, Dries and Silas, Nelltj
14(Brian) Prosise, and Abra Berens (Erik Hall); and his
15brother-in-law, Dr. Lee Berens; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
17ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his
18family and friends, mourn the passing of W. Charles Witte; and
19be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21presented to the family of W. Charles Witte as an expression of
22our sympathy.