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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of William Hardy McAdams Jr. of Moline,
4who passed away on September 5, 2023; and
 
5    WHEREAS, William McAdams was born to William Hardy Sr. and
6Helen M. (Davis) McAdams in Moline on October 7, 1928; he
7committed to his faith at an early age and was baptized at
8Tabernacle Baptist Church; he attended Garfield Elementary
9School and John Deere Junior High School; he received the
10American Legion Award in 1943; he graduated from Moline High
11School in 1947, where he was president student mayor and a
12member of the Civic and Letterman's Club and participated in
13football, track, and basketball; he attended the University of
14Iowa, where he was polemarch, or president, of Kappa Alpha Psi
15Fraternity, Inc., Gamma Chapter; he left school to serve in
16the U.S. Army, where he was stationed in France and Germany; he
17later returned to and graduated from the University of Iowa;
18he married Charlotte Ann Nabors in 1952; and
 
19    WHEREAS, After his military service, William McAdams
20worked at John Deere and the U.S. Post Office and held various
21jobs until he became a foreman at International Harvester (IH)
22in East Moline, where he retired after 25 years; he then worked
23as a correctional officer at Seventh District Department of

 

 

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1Corrections in Davenport, Iowa for 10 years; and
 
2    WHEREAS, William McAdams was a member of the Rock Island
3County Historical Society and the Rock Island Martin Luther
4King Center's Active Club; in 2023, his story was published in
5a book of memoirs collected by Judge John O'Shea titled
6Memories of The Great Depression: A Time Remembered; he also
7compiled the books called Death Index: African Americans and
8Others in the Rock Island, Illinois area, also known as The Red
9Books; and
 
10    WHEREAS, William McAdams enjoyed playing the piano,
11listening to classical music, and gathering with his friends
12at the Dead Poet's Espresso coffee house in Moline; he also
13enjoyed going to the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa in late
14April; in mid-May, he took his wife and daughters to the IHSA
15Girls Track & Field State Finals at Eastern Illinois
16University, where Charlotte would officiate the track and
17field events and his daughters would participate; he loved
18spending time with his children, grandchildren, and
19great-grandchildren and making his famous pancakes for the
20family; and
 
21    WHEREAS, William McAdams, affectionately known as "Mac",
22was an avid reader, a historian, an Iowa Hawkeyes fan, and a
23photographer; he will be remembered as a loyal husband and a

 

 

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1great father and grandfather; and
 
2    WHEREAS, William McAdams was preceded in death by his wife
3of 64 years, Charlotte; his parents; his grandchildren, Erica
4Lynn McAdams and Mykael Jamal Harrison; his son-in-law,
5Kearney Walker; his brother-in-law, Joe Allen; and his
6sister-in-law, Rev. Juanita McAdams; and
 
7    WHEREAS, William McAdams is survived by his children,
8Rochelle (Mark) Thornton, Valerie (Rev. Dr. David) Jarrett,
9Charlotte (Donald) Harrison, Frances (Royal) Foreman,
10Katherine McAdams, Stacey McAdams, Kenny (Michelle) McAdams,
11Adrienne Walker, Lesley McAdams, and Kelley (Aubrey) Clay; his
12siblings, Rev. David McAdams and Helen Allen; his cousins,
13Gilbert Davis and Elaine Chisholm; his brother-in-law, Robert
14Davis; his grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and a host
15of nieces and nephews; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
17ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
18William Hardy McAdams Jr. and extend our sincere condolences
19to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be
20it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
22presented to the family of William McAdams as an expression of

 

 

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1our deepest sympathy.