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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Dennis "Denny" Lee Polk of Springfield,
4who passed away on May 29, 2016; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Dennis Polk was born on June 17, 1955 in
6Springfield; his parents were William "Bill" Polk, Jr. and
7Donna Polk; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Dennis Polk began his career as a funeral director
9and embalmer; in 1999, he and his former wife opened the Staab
10Polk Memorial Home in Chatham; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Dennis Polk worked in real estate for three
12decades; he had a passion for real estate and historic
13preservation and was an avid entrepreneur; he was most recently
14the broker and owner of The Real Estate Firm; he owned several
15well-known bars throughout the years in the Springfield area,
16including Biggie's and Bubba's, Miss Kitty's, Brewhaus, and
17Floyd's; he was a partner in the Hilton (now Wyndham) Hotel
18since 1989; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Dennis Polk received the Historic Preservation
20Award in 1994 for his work in downtown Springfield, including
21the Booth-Grunendike Mansion and the former Grand Hotel;

 

 

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1downtown Springfield would have many more parking lots had it
2not been for his adaptive reuse of buildings; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Dennis Polk was the recipient of the Small
4Businessman of the Year Award in 1989 through the Greater
5Springfield Chamber of Commerce; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Dennis Polk was preceded in death by his
7grandparents, Loren and Gladys Wilgus, William and Elizabeth
8Polk, and Emma Polk; his niece, Gina; and his four-legged
9"kids", Zeus and Chief; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Dennis Polk is survived by his wife, Monique; his
11children, Christine Marie (Brian) Mohr, Mark Vincent (Melissa)
12Polk, Karla Denise (Arthur) St. Germain, Megan Nicole Polk, and
13Chloe Michael Young; his former wife, Paula J. Staab Polk; his
14grandchildren, William "Will" Connor, Ainslie Madeline, Rose
15Marie, Zelda Anne, Katherine "Katie" Ruth, Magnolia "Maggie"
16Gail, and Gertrude "Gigi" Lee; his sisters, Karen (Larry) Fagg
17and Sharon (Carl) Rudin; his nieces and nephews, Kari (John)
18Neathammer, Larry Fagg (Stephanie Berry), Sara (Sean) Carroll,
19and Denise (Kevin) Klemm; his great-niece, Emma; his
20four-legged "kids", Cricket, Honey, and Duke; and many friends;
21therefore, be it
 
22    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL

 

 

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1ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his
2family and friends, mourn the passing of Dennis "Denny" Lee
3Polk; and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
5presented to the family of Dennis Polk as an expression of our
6sympathy.