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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of George William "Bill" Wilson of West
4Frankfort, who passed away on October 30, 2011; and
 
5    WHEREAS, He was born April 16, 1947 in Mount Vernon to
6George C. and Elouise Marshall Wilson; he was a graduate of
7Benton High School; he married Cathy Guminski on March 14,
81970; and
 
9    WHEREAS, He served in the United States Army from 1967 to
101969; he worked with his father at Wilson Home Improvement
11Company before becoming a Franklin County deputy in 1974; he
12served as chief deputy from 1982 to 1990; he was elected
13sheriff of Franklin County in 1990 and served 5 consecutive
14terms, making him Franklin County's longest-serving sheriff,
15until his retirement in November 2010; and
 
16    WHEREAS, He served on several boards over the years,
17including the Rend Lake College Law Enforcement Advisory Board,
18the Illinois State Police Crime Laboratory's Advisory Board,
19the Southern Illinois Criminal Justice Training Board, the
20Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, as past
21president of Mobile Training Unit 15, and as past president of
22the Southern Zone Sheriffs' Association; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, He was elected to the Illinois Sheriffs'
2Association Executive Board in 1999; he served in all offices
3and was sworn in as president in 2008; he served on many
4committees during his tenure, including at Southern Illinois
5University, Illinois State University, Rend Lake College, and
6John A. Logan College, to establish student internship programs
7for law enforcement; he assisted the superintendent of schools
8to establish a GED program for inmates during incarceration;
9assisted the Carbondale Women's Center with the Victim Witness
10Program; and he assisted in a certified training program for
11telecommunicators in advance of the emergency 911 systems; and
 
12    WHEREAS, He was instrumental in securing the Franklin
13County Juvenile Detention Center; he was a member of American
14Legion Post 280 in Benton, where he had served as a past
15commander; the Moose Lodge in West Frankfort; the West
16Frankfort Area Democrats; and St. Mark's Episcopal Church; and
 
17    WHEREAS, He was an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan and
18collector of baseball cards and memorabilia; he loved to watch
19his garden grow, enjoyed fishing and hunting, and during his
20last 2 years, loved spending his days with his "li'l buddy,"
21Evan; and
 
22    WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his son, Mike; his

 

 

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1parents; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Zeig and
2Margaret Guminski; and his brothers-in-law, Cliff Cockrum and
3Jack Steinmetz; and
 
4    WHEREAS, George Wilson is survived by his wife, Cathy; his
5daughter, Danalyn, and her husband, Dennis West; his grandsons,
6Harley and Evan West; his sisters, Sally and her husband, Duane
7Revis, and Nancy Cockrum; his sister-in-law, Judy Steinmetz;
8his brother-in-law, Danny and his wife, Reetha Guminski; his
9nieces and nephews, Tracy Saffelder, Rodney Sailliez, Jason
10Revis, Michele Odle, Susan Cannon, Stacey Fitch, Danielle
11Walters, and Josh Guminski; aunts, Maxine Taylor and Lucille
12Yount; lifelong friend, Ron Vanhorn; and 30-year co-worker,
13Marsha Pappas, who became a trusted and valued friend and was
14considered a member of his family; therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
16ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
17his family and friends, the passing of George William "Bill"
18Wilson; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to the family of George William "Bill" Wilson as an
21expression of our sympathy.