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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of William Patrick "Bill" Myers of
4Champaign, who passed away on September 30, 2016; and
 
5    WHEREAS, William Myers was born on July 27, 1930 in Omaha,
6Nebraska; his parents were Arthur and Esther Myers; and
 
7    WHEREAS, William Myers and his family moved to Chicago in
8the mid-1930s and he helped support his family by shining
9shoes, selling newspapers, and pedaling a bicycle ice cream
10cart; during his free time, he enjoyed swimming and playing
11baseball and "street football"; after his mother died in 1942,
12he and his siblings went to live in Angel Guardian Orphanage,
13where he attended school until 1946; he then lived with his
14aunt and uncle, Ruth and Fred Rueckhardt, while attending
15Nicholas Senn High School in Chicago and Iowa State Teacher's
16College (now Northern Iowa University); and
 
17    WHEREAS, In 1952, William Myers enlisted in the United
18States Army, where he served as a mess sergeant and grill cook
19at the Officer's Club at Fort Leonard Wood; and
 
20    WHEREAS, From 1954 to 1956, William Myers attended the
21University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a

 

 

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1bachelor's degree in restaurant management; he later worked in
2management positions with the Stouffer's Restaurant
3Corporation in Chicago and New York from 1956 to 1959; he also
4served as the associate director of housing at the University
5of Illinois from 1959 to 1966 and as the food service manager
6of residence halls at Stanford University from 1966 to 1972;
7and
 
8    WHEREAS, In 1966, prior to accepting the job at Stanford
9University, William Myers and two other men formed Franchise
10Management Systems, an Arby's Restaurant franchise, in
11Champaign; as founder, owner, and president of FMS, he was one
12of the original Arby's franchisees; over the years, the
13business expanded to include two Champaign-area restaurants,
14Abigail's and Country Inn, as well as 16 Arby's, three G.D.
15Ritzy's, and three Daddy-O's Restaurants in Champaign-Urbana,
16Danville, Bradley, Bourbonnais, Peoria, and Moline, as well as
17Davenport, Bettendorf, and Muscatine, Iowa; and
 
18    WHEREAS, William Myers was well known as a businessman,
19mentor, and philanthropist until his semi-retirement in 2011,
20when he became chairman of the board at FMS; after his full
21retirement in 2015, he continued his philanthropic activities
22through the William P. Myers Foundation; in 1981, he
23established the William P. Myers Education Fund to assist
24Cunningham Children's Home youths with education and job

 

 

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1training beyond the high school level; he supported other
2Cunningham projects, such as participating in the annual
3Kendall Gill Golf Outing, volunteering for and attending
4Christmas and Thanksgiving celebrations, supporting music and
5recreational programs, and making a major gift commitment to
6their $15 million Lighting the Way Capital Campaign; he
7provided food, funding, and equipment for the Special Olympics;
8he served as a mentor, counselor, and adviser at L.W.'s Place,
9a drug and alcohol treatment center in Champaign; he donated
10his time as a counselor and community advocate for Family Life
11Skills Learning Center, a faith-based agency that teaches
12individuals how to stop the cycle of abuse and build a healthy
13home; he provided food, money, and monthly volunteer staffing
14for the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen in Champaign; he provided
15educational and job training programs at FMS, which hired
16individuals with developmental disabilities and worked
17directly with high school students in School-to-Work programs;
18he also granted food service scholarships at the University of
19Illinois, Northern Iowa University, Parkland Community
20College, and Danville Area Community College; and
 
21    WHEREAS, William Myers is survived by his wife, Adele; his
22children, Nathalie Pearson and Mark (Renee) Myers; his
23stepchildren, Elizabeth (Andy) Varner, Jane (Trent) England,
24Mike (Kari) Pankey, and Tim Pankey; and his grandchildren,
25Jessica Pearson, Kathleen Varner, Michael Varner, Grace

 

 

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1Pankey, Kate Pankey, and Joe Pankey; therefore, be it
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
3ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his
4family and friends, mourn the passing of William Patrick "Bill"
5Myers; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7presented to the family of William Myers as an expression of
8our sympathy.