SR0754 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0754 LRB095 21668 GRL 51870 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of William Thomas Eichenauer of Decatur, who passed away on June 1, 2008; and

WHEREAS, William Eichenauer was born on August 6, 1929 in Decatur; he was the son of Harold Lyn and Marianna (Rucker) Eichenauer; he married Nancy Lee Fisher on August 8, 1953 in Port Washington, New York; and

WHEREAS, William Eichenauer was a life-long resident of Decatur; he graduated with the Class of 1947 at Decatur High School and received his bachelor's degree in Engineering Administration from Millikin University in 1951; and

WHEREAS, William Eichenauer served in the United States Army from 1951 until 1953, performing tests and experimental work on radar in conjunction with Army Field Forces Board IV Sperry Gyroscope Company and Raytheon Corporation field engineers at Ft. Bliss, Texas and White Sands, New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, William Eichenauer and his father, Harold, established Eichenauer Services, Inc. (ESI), an electrical contracting and commercial food equipment service company, in 1955; after purchasing his father's share of the business in 1972, he served as chairman of the board until 2004, when the company was purchased by his sons; and

WHEREAS, William Eichenauer's leadership in the commercial food equipment service industry helped establish the Commercial Food Equipment Service Association (CFESA) in 1963, where he served as president from 1969-1971 and 1983-1985; he was instrumental in developing Tech Trac 80, a national technical training program at the Northwood Institute, and garnered national recognition with the Presidential Distinguished Service Award from (CFESA) in 1977 and the Outstanding Top Service Company in the nation by Vulcan Hart Corporation in Louisville, Kentucky in 1988; ESI was also recognized as the Decatur Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year in 1981 and was named the Illinois Small Business of the Year by Loyola University in 2002; and

WHEREAS, William Eichenauer was a tireless supporter of Millikin University for fifty-seven years; he served as president of the local fraternal chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and the Millikin Quarterback Club and served as chairman for the Millikin Annual Fund Drive, Capital Fund Drive, and Centennial Committee; he was elected to the Millikin Board of Trustees in 1993 and continued to serve as an Emeritus trustee afterwards; his favorite activity was running the scoreboard for Millikin's football and basketball games; in honor of his service to the university, he received the Alumni Loyalty Award in 1966 and the Alumnus of the Year in 1996; and

WHEREAS, William Eichenauer's commitment to education extended throughout his community; he served on the Advisory Council for establishment of the Community College of Decatur (Richland), the Vocational Education Task Force for the State of Illinois Department of Education, and the Advisory Council to the District 61 Area Vocational Center; he recently worked to establish the Center for Creative Learning and the Culinary Institute at Richland Community College, which will offer classes in the fall of 2008; and

WHEREAS, William Eichenauer's dedication to revitalizing the historic areas of Decatur led to the establishment of the Oakwood Business Association, where he served as chairman, and the Olde Towne Redevelopment Corporation for the City of Decatur, which offers funding to homeowners for property improvements in Decatur's West End; his efforts to influence the creation of the West Main Corridor resulted in the completion of its first phase in 2007; he continued to serve on the Lincoln Square Theatre board as past chairman to support ongoing efforts to renovate the historic theatre; and

WHEREAS, William Eichenauer's concern for the plight of America's wolf population led to his involvement in establishing the wolf exhibit at Scovill Zoo; and

WHEREAS, William Eichenauer was a past chairman of the Community Investment Corporation of Decatur, and was elected to the board of trustees for First National Bank, First Decatur Bancshares (now Busey Bank) in 1992; he was a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church, where he served as Deacon, Elder, and president of the Board of Trustees; in honor of his dedication to the Decatur community, he was named the Citizen of the Year by the City of Decatur in 2007; and

WHEREAS, William Eichenauer took pleasure from woodworking and gardening and was an avid rock hound; he thoroughly enjoyed hunting for gems in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina during family vacations and was grateful for his role as "Head Guru" on camping trips across the country with the nine "Guru" families; and

WHEREAS, William Eichenauer is survived by his loving wife, Nancy; his sisters, Betty Peters (Roy) and Mary Jane Babb (Rob); his sons, Tom (Gloria) and Lee (Toni); his daughters, Beth Stringer, Patty Jones, and Sue Allen (John); and his 17 grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, William Eichenauer took great pride in his family and worked to instill a strong sense of self; he lived by four basic tenets, which consisted of worshipping God, working hard, cherishing his family, and giving back to his community; his selfless passion for living, voracious desire to keep learning, and the deep love he held for his family and the city he called home will be greatly missed by his loved ones and his many friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of William Eichenauer; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of William Eichenauer as an expression of our sympathy.