SR2510 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR2510 LRB099 24267 MST 52003 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Edward "Ed" Vincent of Oak Park, who passed away on October 3, 2015; and

WHEREAS, Ed was born to Edward R. and Erna H. Vincent on May 26, 1957; with the exception of one year, he lived his whole life in Oak Park; as a child, he took in injured wild animals and nursed them back to health until he could let them go; he attended Oak Park River Forest High School, where he ran track; he attended Washburn Trade School to learn tool and die making; his interest in tool and die also aligned with his opposition to the Vietnam War; tool and die makers were needed on the homefront during the war and he believed that as a career pursuit, tool and die might help him to avoid getting drafted; and

WHEREAS, Ed was known as a person who did not give up on people, particularly those who were struggling; he touched many lives by reaching out during hard times to connect individuals to other friends, an interest, a job, or a social service that could help them to get back on their feet, a practice he cherished; and

WHEREAS, Ed was very interested in foreign languages; he spoke German fluently and spoke some words in many other languages; he enjoyed detecting and deciphering accents to determine the language of origin and to encourage the speaker to teach him new words or phrases; he had a great memory for words, pronunciation, and adaptability of foreign languages; and

WHEREAS, Ed was interested in writing and completed several unpublished children's books and works of science fiction; he was interested in geology, paleontology, anthropology, and cars and other machines; he was known for his insatiable curiosity; he had an interest in everything and a desire to always know more about any topic that came before him; and

WHEREAS, Ed operated one of the first bulletin board services, a precurser to the modern-day Internet; he published online neighborhood news websites at the Oak Park Journal and Forest Park Journal; and

WHEREAS, Ed enjoyed traveling the world; and

WHEREAS, Ed is survived by his wife, Cristen, and many other friends and loved ones; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Edward "Ed" Vincent, 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 Edward Vincent as an expression of our deepest sympathy.