SR0858 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0858 LRB102 26306 ECR 36320 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Robert "Bob" Ontiveros, who passed away on February 8, 2022; and

WHEREAS, Bob Ontiveros was born to John and Josephine Ontiveros on August 17, 1938; he attended Moline High School, where he excelled at wrestling, track and field, and basketball; following his high school graduation, he studied at the University of Cincinnati for one year followed by one year at Moline Community College, now Black Hawk College; he married Blenda Crummer in 1960; and

WHEREAS, Bob Ontiveros started his professional career as a sales representative for Dunn & Bradstreet (D&B); after a few years, he began working for the R.V. Evans Company, a small industrial packaging startup out of Decatur and the local dealer for Paslode pneumatic nail guns; he was given the sales territory of north central Illinois and eastern Iowa; and

WHEREAS, After watching the industry grow for seven years, Bob Ontiveros and his wife saw an opportunity to start their own business; supported by a few local investors, they founded Bi-State Packaging in 1974; their team, including their two sons, transformed Bi-State Packaging into a multifaceted business enterprise respected throughout North America for its packaging solutions, supply chain services, and incentive marketing programs; their company is now called Group O; under his leadership as CEO, Group O has grown into one of the largest Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S. and one of the largest employers in the Quad Cities, with revenues of over $500 million, more than 1,000 employees, and operations in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Mexico; he retired as CEO and became chairman of the company in 1999; and

WHEREAS, Bob Ontiveros, along with his wife, developed Community Health Care, Familia Dental, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley; he founded the Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2008; with his son Christopher and granddaughter Maria, he founded the nonprofit Mercado on Fifth in 2016; and

WHEREAS, Bob Ontiveros served as chairman of the Quad Cities Civic Center Authority Board from 1996 to 2003; he previously served on Augustana's Board of Trustees along with many other local, state, and national organizations; and

WHEREAS, Bob Ontiveros was a dedicated philanthropist and supported many organizations throughout the Quad Cities, including the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) chapters in Davenport and Moline, Moline schools, Niabi Zoo, Scott Community College, WQPT PBS, and WVIK Quad Cities NPR; he was also a major supporter of Fourth Wall Films' efforts to produce documentaries about Hero Street U.S.A. in Silvis; and

WHEREAS, Bob Ontiveros and his wife created numerous endowed scholarship funds for Hispanic students, making a $100,000 gift to Augustana College for that purpose in 2016; they donated $1 million to their alma mater Black Hawk College in 2020, becoming the institution's largest gift to date; and

WHEREAS, Bob Ontiveros was named one of six State of Illinois Lincoln Award honorees in 2013; he received an Outstanding Community Leadership Award from the State of Illinois Comptroller, a Legacy Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the Chicago Minority Business Development Council, and Negocios Now; he was inducted into the Minority Business Hall of Fame, the Black Hawk College Alumni Hall of Fame, the Junior Achievement of the Heartland Business Hall of Fame, and the Jeremiah Milbank Society; he received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Western Illinois University and an honorary doctorate from Augustana College; he and his wife received the honor of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley's Teen Center in Moline being renamed the Robert & Blenda Ontiveros Teen Center in 2019; and

WHEREAS, Bob Ontiveros loved selling things; he enjoyed traveling the world, cycling, running, snowmobiling, boating, skiing, playing handball, and golfing at Oakwood Country Club and Short Hills Country Club in the Quad Cities and Longboat Key Club in Longboat Key, Florida; he exercised daily, maintained connections with longtime friends through daily emails and phone calls, and relished time with his family, including his grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Bob Ontiveros was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Maria Elena, Lawrence, Rita, and Steven; and

WHEREAS, Bob Ontiveros is survived by his siblings, John (Laura), Frank (Lorna), Christine (Jeff) Reem, Joanne (Ray) Bender, Michael, and Cindy (Dave) Newton; his sons, Christopher (Pamela) and Gregg; his grandchildren, Maria (Jack Cullen), Allie, Dana, Will, Josie, and Kendall; and his great-grandchildren, Emma, Stella, and Anna Catherine; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Robert "Bob" Ontiveros 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 Bob Ontiveros as an expression of our deepest sympathy.