HR0946 LRB095 18789 KXB 44915 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of former
4 Chicago mayor Eugene Sawyer, who passed away on January 19,
5 2008; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Eugene Sawyer was known for his calm manner and
7 ability to forge compromise; he rose to prominence in the days
8 following Chicago Mayor Harold Washington's death in November
9 of 1987; after a bitter, racially charged debate, a split
10 council voted to name him as Mayor Washington's replacement; he
11 served as mayor until 1989, when he lost in the Democratic
12 primary to current Mayor Richard M. Daley; and
 
13     WHEREAS, He was born in Greensboro, Alabama; after moving
14 from Alabama to Chicago in 1957 with a degree in chemistry from
15 Alabama State University, he was hired as an industrial waste
16 coordinator for the Chicago Sewer Department; and in 1971 he
17 was elected 6th Ward alderman; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Eugene Sawyer was soft-spoken and quiet; even
19 after he became mayor, he often held breakfast meetings at a
20 South Side restaurant called Ms. Biscuit; during his brief
21 tenure, Mayor Sawyer pushed through several initiatives that
22 Mayor Washington had started or supported, including a

 

 

HR0946 - 2 - LRB095 18789 KXB 44915 r

1 human-rights ordinance that had languished in the council for
2 years before it was approved in 1988; and
 
3     WHEREAS, After leaving office, he became an officer of an
4 energy company; he later switched the firm's focus to wholesale
5 tobacco deals; while he stayed in touch with politics, he spent
6 much of his time following sports and fancied himself a
7 talented poker player; he was also a devout member of his
8 church and a devoted family man; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Eugene Sawyer is survived by his wife, Veronica;
10 his children, Roderick, Shedrick, and Sheryl McGill; his
11 brothers Ernest and Charles; his sister Shirley; and his four
12 grandchildren; he was preceded in death by his sister, Melnee;
13 therefore, be it
 
14     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
16 mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of former
17 Chicago mayor Eugene Sawyer; and be it further
 
18     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19 presented to the family of Eugene Sawyer as a symbol of our
20 sincere sympathy.