SR0911 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0911 LRB102 26774 LAW 37726 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Eugene "Skip" Sullivan of Oak Lawn, who passed away on November 25, 2021; and

WHEREAS, Skip Sullivan was born on June 6, 1951; he graduated from Harnew Grade School in 1965; he graduated from Oak Lawn Community High School, where he was a three-sport athlete, earning all-conference honors in baseball, basketball, and football in 1968 and 1969; he received his bachelor's degree in Social Studies from Iowa State University in 1973, where he played football and baseball; he married Patricia Buckels on October 27, 1973; he earned his master's degree from Governors State University in 1977; and

WHEREAS, Skip Sullivan returned to Oak Lawn Community High School in 1973, where he served as a teacher and coach; he taught Social Studies for 33 years, positively impacting the educational experiences of thousands of students; as a coach, he completed 78 cumulative seasons, including 27 seasons as a baseball coach, 24 seasons as a football coach, 13 seasons as a girls basketball coach, 12 seasons as a boys basketball coach, and 2 seasons as a golf coach; he was inducted into the Illinois Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2008; and

WHEREAS, After contracting Parkinson's disease, Skip Sullivan inaugurated the Sully Shuffle 5K run for 10 consecutive years, raising $231,000 for Parkinson's research; and

WHEREAS, Skip Sullivan was a diehard Chicago Cubs fan and idolized former player Ernie Banks; he enjoyed pizza and chocolate malts; he will be remembered for treating everyone with the same kindness and respect; and

WHEREAS, Skip Sullivan was the husband of Patricia "Patti" Sullivan for 48 years; the father of Mike (Cheryl) Sullivan, Dana (Steve) Annel, and the late Danny Sullivan; the grandfather of Mason, Rosie, Caitlyn, and Chloe; the son of the late Eugene and Doris Sullivan; the brother of Nancy (Ken) Rossow, Janet (Butch) Tornabeni, and Gwen (the late Leo) Koszulinski; the son-in-law of the late David and Mary Buckels; the brother-in-law of Fran (the late Wayne) Bailey, John (Laura) Buckels, Larry (Sue) Buckels, and the late David Buckels; the uncle of many nieces and nephews; the friend, teacher, coach, and mentor of many; 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 Eugene "Skip" Sullivan 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 Skip Sullivan as an expression of our deepest sympathy.