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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Reverend
4Austin W. Smith, Jr. of Chicago, who passed away on December
512, 2012; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Reverend Smith was born in Pollocksville, North
7Carolina, on September 17th, 61 years ago, to Austin and Minnie
8Hicks Smith; he was the 7th of 9 children, affectionately known
9as "Pete"; he attended Jones Central High School, Washington
10Bible College, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, where
11he earned a Master's of Religion in Urban Ministry and a
12Master's of Christian Studies; he married Shirley Small on
13December 13, 1969; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Reverend Smith has served as senior pastor of
15Compassion Baptist Church in Chicago for the past 20 years; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Prior to becoming pastor of Compassion Baptist
17Church, Reverend Smith served as director of the Agape
18Community Center, a ministry of Here's Life Inner City; he most
19recently served on the board of Converge Mid America; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Before beginning full-time work in the ministry,
21Reverend Smith worked for the Kiplinger Washington Editors in

 

 

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1Washington, D.C. as a computer programmer-analyst; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Reverend Smith was preceded in death by his
3parents, Austin and Minnie Smith; his son, Sean; and his
4brother, Charles; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Reverend Smith is survived by his wife of 42
6years, Shirley; his children, Sauda, (Duane) Porter, Faith,
7Stephen, and James; his grandchildren, Jasmine, Joy, Hope, and
8Jovanni Austin; his siblings, Harriett (Jesse), Robert (Sadie)
9Barbara (Robert), Karen, Jacquelyn (Ronald), Delphine
10(Sherman), and Graylin (Barbara), his cousins, nieces,
11nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews; the congregation of
12Compassion Baptist Church; and a host of brothers and sisters
13in Christ and friends; therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
16we mourn the passing of Reverend Austin W. Smith, Jr., and we
17extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all
18who knew and loved him; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to the family of Reverend Austin Smith, Jr. as an
21expression of our deepest sympathy.