SR0846 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0846 LRB103 39910 LAW 70930 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Bruce Alexander Campbell II of Tucson, Arizona, formerly of Springfield, who passed away on March 7, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Bruce Campbell was born to Joseph Bruce and Ruth Norcom Campbell in Chicago on October 19, 1929; he and his family moved to Nashville, Illinois in 1933; he graduated from Western Military Academy in Alton and the University of Illinois in 1951, where he served as president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and belonged to the honorary journalism fraternity, Sigma Delta Chi; he served in the U.S. Army until June 1953 and was stationed in Korea for one year; he married Alice Jean Keller in Paris, Illinois on July 25, 1953; and

WHEREAS, Bruce Campbell began his career at General American Life Insurance Company in St. Louis in 1953, transferring to the Chicago office after one year; he joined Illinois Bell Telephone Company in Peoria in 1955, later working in the Chicago, New York, and Springfield offices; he created Illinois Bell's economic development organization in 1978, which was adopted by most of its companies across the country; he retired as director of economic development from Illinois Bell, then known as Ameritech, with offices in Springfield and Chicago; and

WHEREAS, During his career, Bruce Campbell led several business organizations, including the Sangamon County Economic Council, the Illinois Development Council, and the Mid America Economic Council; he also served as a member of the private sector board to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, and he belonged to the Belleville Elks Lodge, the Sangamo Club, and Illini Country Club; and

WHEREAS, Bruce Campbell and his family resided in Springfield for 30-plus years, where he was very active in community affairs, including serving as president of the Springfield Boys and Girls Clubs, the Sangamon State University Foundation, and the Sangamon County University of Illinois Alumni Association; he founded and was the first president of the Central Illinois Public Relations Society, and he served as the public relations director of the 1973 and 1982 United Way of Sangamon County campaigns; he served on the board of directors of the Springfield Library, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Memorial Medical Center, the Dana Thomas House Foundation, and the University of Illinois National Alumni Association; he was a member of the American Business Club, the Capitol Bicentennial Commission, and Westminster Presbyterian Church, where he served as both a deacon and an elder; and

WHEREAS, Bruce Campbell loved history, traveling, and spending time with family and friends; he researched, wrote, and published Sangamon Saga, a 365-page hardcover pictorial history of Sangamon County; he also researched and recorded his family genealogy, and he chronicled his many journeys across the globe; he enjoyed entertaining, maintaining lifelong friendships, and making new friends; he especially enjoyed vacationing with his family in San Diego, California, Old Mission, Michigan, and Mexico; and

WHEREAS, After retirement, Bruce Campbell and his wife, Alice, split their time between Springfield and Tucson, later making Tucson their permanent home; while there, he became an active volunteer at both Tucson Memorial Center and Northwest Hospital, and he was a member of St. Michael Episcopal Church and Skyline Country Club; and

WHEREAS, Bruce Campbell was preceded in death by his son, Bruce A. Campbell III; and

WHEREAS, Bruce Campbell is survived by his wife; his children, Cynthia (Morris) McWilliams, Craig Campbell, and Tom Campbell; his daughter-in-law, Jean; and his grandchildren, Allison McWilliams, Melissa Campbell, Andrew Campbell, and Michael Campbell; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Bruce Alexander Campbell II 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 Bruce Campbell as an expression of our deepest sympathy.