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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Merritt Austin King of Geneva, who passed
4away on January 24, 2012; and
 
5    WHEREAS, He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on December 2,
61918, the son of Charles and Ruth King; he moved to Geneva in
71928 and was a graduate of Geneva High School, class of 1939;
8he was united in marriage to Lynne Pearson on December 6, 1944
9in London, England while serving in the United States Army in
10World War II; and
 
11    WHEREAS, He was present vice chairman and secretary of the
12Kane County Public Building Commission under several mayors
13since 1989; he was the alderman of Ward Two for 28 years in
14Geneva; he served as the Mayor Pro Tem for 12 years; as an
15alderman, he served as Chairman of the Streets and Walks
16Committee, the Parking Committee, and the Intergovernmental
17Relations Committee; he was a former member of the City of
18Geneva's Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Past President and a
19Board Member of the Geneva Memorial Community Center; and
 
20    WHEREAS, He was responsible for suggesting and
21implementing the installation of Geneva's Historic Third
22Street gas lamps; he was the Historian Emeritus for the Geneva

 

 

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1History Center; he was a member of the Board of Directors for
2the Geneva Historical Society and had a life membership in the
3Geneva Historical Society; and
 
4    WHEREAS, He was a member of the Geneva Township Senior
5Center Advisory Board; a volunteer at the Butterfly House of
6Peck Farm Park; a former member of the Illinois State Toll
7Highway Advisory Committee; Citizen of the Year; a member of
8the Geneva Masonic Lodge #139 AF&M; the 1995 Grand Marshall of
9the Geneva Swedish Days Parade; a 32nd degree Mason; a member
10of the Scottish Rite Medinah Temple; and a Shriner with the Fox
11Valley Shrine Club; and
 
12    WHEREAS, He was the Past Commander of American Legion Post
13#75; the historian and a life member of American Legion Post
14#75; and a Geneva Township Republican Precinct Committeeman
15from 1947 to 2006; he attended the Army War College and the
16Washington, D. C. Engineer School; and
 
17    WHEREAS, He was a decorated veteran, receiving the Purple
18Heart, Bronze Star, Air Medal, Presidential Unit Citation,
19French Croix de Guerre, 4 Battle Stars, and a D-Day +3
20Survivor, Omaha Beach; he flew 9 missions in aerial photo
21reconnaissance over Germany and France; he served 3 1/2 years
22overseas in Germany, France, England, Belgium, Africa, and
23Egypt; and he received 3 Citations from the Corps of Engineers;

 

 

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1and
 
2    WHEREAS, He was a charter member of Topographic Engineers;
3he was a life member of the 7th Photo Recon Group; in
4recognition of his valor while a member of the U.S. Army, he
5was awarded the French Legion of Honor, Chevalier, by the
6French government on October 13, 2008; and
 
7    WHEREAS, He enjoyed many sports, excelling in track,
8football, and basketball at Geneva High School, earning him the
9lifetime nickname of "Speed"; as an adult he loved sailing,
10shooting skeet, and playing golf; he was thrilled to experience
11four holes-in-one over his lifetime; and
 
12    WHEREAS, He owned and operated King Heating and Air
13Conditioning in Geneva for many years; he was also honored to
14have flown on the second flight to Washington D.C. to view the
15World War II Memorial with Honor Flight Chicago on June 25,
162008; and
 
17    WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years,
18Lynne; and his son Bryan; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Merritt King is survived by his daughters, Alison
20King and Lesley (Danny) Dimmick; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
2ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
3his family and friends, the passing of Merritt King; and be it
4further
 
5    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6presented to the family of Merritt King as a symbol of our
7sincere sympathy.