HR0715 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0715 LRB102 26423 MST 36756 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Harold Byers of Highland, who passed away on December 9, 2021; and

WHEREAS, Harold Byers was born in Folsomville, Indiana to Ella Mae and Harold J. Byers on October 6, 1935; he married Nancy Reinke on December 3, 1955; and

WHEREAS, Harold Byers began his career as a teacher and basketball coach for five years; he spent the remainder of his career in the textbook business, first as a sales representative for McGraw-Hill and later as owner of B&B Book Supply; he devoted his entire life to promoting libraries and encouraging people to read and learn; and

WHEREAS, Harold Byers served as a state representative in the Illinois General Assembly and was a champion of civil rights and equal rights for all; his support for the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as a downstate legislator earned him the wrath of Phyllis Schlafly and Anita Bryant, which he proudly wore as a badge of honor; and

WHEREAS, Harold Byers was a progressive on civil rights and social issues, though he was a fiscal conservative who believed in balanced budgets, and was a true watchdog of taxpayer dollars; and

WHEREAS, Harold Byers' first bill as a freshman legislator changed Illinois history by reforming the manner in which state legislators were paid; on his first day in office, he learned that a century old Illinois law required all legislators to be paid their entire annual salary on the day they were sworn in; he sponsored a bill, now law, that required legislators to be paid on a monthly basis only after they worked each month; his bill and law won the support of 635,138 grateful Illinois voters who signed petitions to help win passage of the long overdue legislative salary reform; and

WHEREAS, Harold Byers was a caring legislator who won passage of many important laws, including consumer protections, nursing home reform, political ethics reform, and help for working people who lived from paycheck to paycheck; and

WHEREAS, Harold Byers was fiercely and fearlessly independent as a legislator; he was awarded the Outstanding Legislator Award from the Independent Voters of Illinois for each of the two terms he served in the Illinois House of Representatives; he believed in opening government to the public and press; and

WHEREAS, Harold Byers was a member of the Madison County Board for 16 years, where he again served as a watchdog of taxpayer dollars; during his tenure, he became highly distressed that Madison County was without a county health department; he was disturbed that county residents were forced to travel to adjacent counties, Bond and Clinton, to obtain vaccinations for their young children; he therefore, as an advocate for good healthcare for all, was instrumental in the establishment of the Madison County Health Department; and

WHEREAS, Harold Byers served on the Metro East Park and Recreation District, helping to improve the district's park system for the betterment of the Metro-East area; and

WHEREAS, Harold Byers was appointed to the Illinois State Board of Elections by Governor Pat Quinn, where he served for a number of years and worked tirelessly to assure Illinois elections remained free and fair for all; and

WHEREAS, Every year on his birthday, Harold Byers and his wife Nancy organized a bean dinner at their home, where dozens of friends came to celebrate and raise funds for the local food pantry; and

WHEREAS, Harold Byers was a member of the Evangelical United Church of Christ in Highland; he had a generous spirit and lived his life to the fullest, enjoying his travels across America and his worldwide excursions; he enjoyed attending sporting events and was an avid fan of both horse racing and the Chicago Cubs; he was thrilled to see his Cubs win the 2016 World Series and proudly attended one of the World Series games in Chicago to root for his team; and

WHEREAS, Harold Byers was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Elaine Grundhoefer; his brother, Ronald Byers; and his daughter-in-law, Deborah Byers; and

WHEREAS, Harold Byers is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Nancy; his children, Cheryl Byers, Sheila Byers (Rich Ullman), Keith (Patricia) Byers, Lana (Willard) Herman, Greg (Jane) Byers, Jeff Byers (Angela Schmidt), and Phil Byers; his grandchildren, Mandy Eyrich, Kim Fulton, Ashley Dickey, Margaret Byers, Eric Byers, Katelyn Kuk, Catherine Byers, Tara Byers, Maxwell Byers, Jennifer Ullman, Elaine Herman, Peter Byers, and Hannah Clifford; his great-grandchildren, Emmaline Eyrich, Spencer Eyrich, Emmalyn Dickey, Nora Dickey, Henry Dean Byers, Briella Byers, Miles Fulton, Grayson Davis, and Cameron Kuk, with two more on the way; and his brothers, Gary and Sam Byers; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Harold Dean Byers and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

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