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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of
Robert | ||||||
4 | Lewis Lucas; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Robert Lucas was born on January 10, 1925; his | ||||||
6 | mother was Marie Lucas; he was raised by his grandparents in | ||||||
7 | Ronceverte, West Virginia; he married Anna Huffman on January | ||||||
8 | 20, 1956; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Robert Lucas completed his primary education at | ||||||
10 | Cherry Rowe and Christopher Payne Elementary Schools in | ||||||
11 | Ronceverte, West Virginia; he subsequently attended Bolling | ||||||
12 | High School in Lewisburg, West Virginia; and
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13 | WHEREAS, Robert Lucas was drafted into the United States | ||||||
14 | Army on August 6, 1943; he served in Europe and was honorably | ||||||
15 | discharged in 1945; and
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16 | WHEREAS, After the war, Robert Lucas came to Chicago, where | ||||||
17 | he received his high school diploma from Wendell Phillips Night | ||||||
18 | School; he then earned his associate's degree from Wilson | ||||||
19 | College before enrolling in Roosevelt College (now Roosevelt | ||||||
20 | University); and
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1 | WHEREAS, Robert Lucas began his career as a civil rights | ||||||
2 | activist in 1959; he was a founding member of the Congress of | ||||||
3 | Racial Equality (C.O.R.E.) and became the Chairman of the | ||||||
4 | Chicago Chapter of C.O.R.E. in 1965; in 1968, he joined the | ||||||
5 | Black Liberation Alliance and became Executive Director of the | ||||||
6 | Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (K.O.C.O.); he retired | ||||||
7 | from his leadership position in K.O.C.O. in 2000, but continued | ||||||
8 | to regularly attend the organization's meetings; and | ||||||
9 | WHEREAS, During his tenure at K.O.C.O., Robert Lucas was | ||||||
10 | instrumental in the organization's efforts to keep the | ||||||
11 | Blackstone Rangers gang away from the Kenwood neighborhood of | ||||||
12 | Chicago; he is also responsible for numerous initiatives to | ||||||
13 | revitalize the Kenwood neighborhood and the creation of many | ||||||
14 | improvements to the neighborhood, including the KOMED Holman | ||||||
15 | Medical Center; and
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16 | WHEREAS, Robert Lucas was a member of the Congregational | ||||||
17 | Church of Park Manor, United Church of Christ; he was an | ||||||
18 | ordained deacon, a life member of the church's Justice and | ||||||
19 | Witness Committee, an officer in the Men's Fellowship, an | ||||||
20 | active member of the January Birth Month Circle, and a past | ||||||
21 | Vice Moderator and Moderator of the church; and | ||||||
22 | WHEREAS, Robert Lucas enjoyed traveling with his wife; they | ||||||
23 | enjoyed multiple cruises to the Caribbean, and extensively |
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1 | traveled throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and | ||||||
2 | several European countries; and
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3 | WHEREAS, Robert Lucas was preceded in death by his beloved | ||||||
4 | stepson, William (Billy) Raymond Porter; his mother; his | ||||||
5 | grandparents; and 13 aunts and uncles; and | ||||||
6 | WHEREAS, Robert Lucas is survived by his adoring wife, | ||||||
7 | Anna; his son, Lambert; his uncle, Calvin (Buddy) Lucas; his | ||||||
8 | aunt, Daisy Wood; and his many nieces, nephews, cousins, and | ||||||
9 | friends; therefore, be it
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10 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
11 | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
12 | we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of | ||||||
13 | Robert Lewis Lucas; and be it further
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14 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
15 | presented to the family of Robert Lucas as an expression of our | ||||||
16 | sympathy.
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