HR0006 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0006 LRB094 05797 CSA 35850 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Samuel A. Patch, a longtime aide and strategist to former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington, died January 5, 2005; he was 71; and

WHEREAS, He was born in Chicago, the second youngest of nine children; a graduate of Englewood High School and Kentucky State University, he served in the Army and was a delegate to the 1970 Illinois Constitutional Convention and chairman of the Illinois Black Caucus in 1974; he established a friendship with Harold Washington as the two were coming up in 3rd Ward politics in the late 1950s, and later became his closest confidant; and

WHEREAS, He lived in Chicago's 3rd Ward for most of his life, and made a tremendous imprint there; he helped to develop many of the innovative, creative programs of then-Alderman Ralph Metcalfe that sought to improve the quality of life for young people; and

WHEREAS, Although he never fully retired from politics, he established Balton Corporation, a successful national wholesale distribution business that specializes in paper and janitorial products and restaurant supplies; despite his full schedule, family was his top priority; and

WHEREAS, He was an avid Bears fan; described as a serious, quiet man, he showed a different side in the football stadium; it is his quiet behind-the-scenes actions that will be missed most, especially by the city's African-American community, which has lost a political giant; he was involved in most, if not all, of the political movements of the South Side for the past 50 years; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Samuel A. Patch will be felt by all who knew and loved him, especially his daughter, Shari Wilson; his sisters, Vern Blackburn and Guiletta Hudson, his brothers, Eugene and Milton; and his grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Samuel A. Patch and we extend our sincerest condolences to his family, friends, and community; and be it further

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