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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
| 3 | learn of the death of Byron Lloyd Bradford of Hindsboro, who | ||||||
| 4 | passed away on October 14, 2020; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Byron Bradford was born to Chase and Joyce | ||||||
| 6 | Bradford on October 20, 1938; he attended Arcola High School, | ||||||
| 7 | where he was a center on the school's undefeated football teams | ||||||
| 8 | of 1954 and 1955 and involved with the class play, the yearbook | ||||||
| 9 | staff, the Letterman's Club, Arco-Lite, and FFA; he attended | ||||||
| 10 | Eastern Illinois University where he earned his bachelor's | ||||||
| 11 | degree and master's degree in education; he married Jean Miller | ||||||
| 12 | on March 30, 1958; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Byron Bradford began his 49 year teaching and | ||||||
| 14 | coaching career in Arcola in 1961; during that time, he taught | ||||||
| 15 | 6th grade, junior high math, social studies, and P.E; he also | ||||||
| 16 | coached basketball and track; as a high school teacher, he was | ||||||
| 17 | an instructor of drivers education, health, and P.E. and served | ||||||
| 18 | as a guidance counselor; his high school coaching included | ||||||
| 19 | football, basketball, baseball, and golf; he and his mentor and | ||||||
| 20 | best friend, Bob Avery, coached the legendary Arcola High | ||||||
| 21 | School basketball team in 1963-1964; he also coached football | ||||||
| 22 | with Steve Thomas, and they took teams to the state | ||||||
| 23 | championship game in 1977, 1978, 1985, 1988, and 1991; he | ||||||
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| 1 | helped lead the Purple Rider football program to state | ||||||
| 2 | championship wins in 1978, 1985, and 1988; he retired from | ||||||
| 3 | Arcola High School in 1994 but worked part time until 2010, and | ||||||
| 4 | that time included helping take the football team to the 1995 | ||||||
| 5 | state championship; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Byron Bradford was a man of faith, integrity, | ||||||
| 7 | strength, drive and patience; he had a deep desire to help | ||||||
| 8 | others and did so as often as he could; he served as an elder, | ||||||
| 9 | lay preacher, and Sunday school teacher and was presently | ||||||
| 10 | attending the Truth and Grace Fellowship Church; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Byron Bradford loved spending days with his | ||||||
| 12 | daughter Marla driving through the country, running errands, | ||||||
| 13 | visiting with friends, watching his son-in-law Tony drag race, | ||||||
| 14 | visiting his granddaughter Nicole and her husband Gabe, seeing | ||||||
| 15 | his great-granddaughter Peyton dance, and watching his | ||||||
| 16 | great-grandson Beckett grow and play; and
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| 17 | WHEREAS, Byron Bradford was preceded in death by his | ||||||
| 18 | beloved wife, Jean; his parents; and two of his very closest | ||||||
| 19 | friends, Bob Avery and Steve Thomas; and
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| 20 | WHEREAS, Byron Bradford is survived by his daughter, Marla | ||||||
| 21 | (Tony) Chrisagis; his granddaughter, Nicole (Gabe) Zuccarelli; | ||||||
| 22 | his great-granddaughter, Peyton; his great-grandson, Beckett; | ||||||
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| 1 | his brother, Harold (LeeRae) Bradford, his brothers-in-law, | ||||||
| 2 | Terry (Catherine) Miller and Ed (Cheryl) Miller; his nieces; | ||||||
| 3 | his nephews; and the entire Arcola community of friends; | ||||||
| 4 | therefore, be it
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| 5 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | ||||||
| 6 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
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| 7 | Byron Lloyd Bradford and extend our sincere
condolences to his | ||||||
| 8 | family, friends, and all who knew and loved
him; and be it | ||||||
| 9 | further
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| 10 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
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| 11 | presented to the family of Byron Bradford as an expression of
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| 12 | our deepest sympathy.
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