SR1105 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1105 LRB102 28249 LAW 40120 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Samuel E. "Sam" Hill of Geneva, who passed away on July 5, 2022; and

WHEREAS, Sam Hill was born to Samuel H. and Ruth (Twichell) Hill in Battle Creek, Michigan on November 8, 1935; he grew up in Royal Oak, Michigan; after graduating from high school, he attended Kiski Prep School in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania; he entered the University of Illinois in the fall of 1954, where he played freshman football and was an active member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity; he married Carolyn Snader in August 1959; he earned a degree in Recreation and Park Management from the University of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Sam Hill first worked as the superintendent of Recreation in Lincoln; while there, he decided to pursue his master's degree and moved to Champaign to complete his thesis; he then moved with his family to Elmhurst, where he served as superintendent of Recreation; during this time, he also served as the secretary/treasurer of the local Jaycees and was later elected to the position of regional director; and

WHEREAS, Sam Hill made the decision to go into sales/sales management in March 1965, leading to a series of moves, which included Madison, Wisconsin, Elmira, New York, and Williamsport, Pennsylvania before he settled with his family in Geneva, Illinois in 1977; he retired from Horton Industries, Inc. in 2001; and

WHEREAS, Sam Hill was dedicated to serving the City of Geneva; he was a member of the city's plan commission for a decade before running for alderman in 2001; he represented the First Ward for the next 12 years, which included much of the downtown and the Geneva Historic District; he served as the commissioner of the Geneva Park District for eight years, during which he was instrumental in obtaining funding from the State to buy the first 131 acres from Peck Farm in the early 1990s and turn it into a park; for his efforts, a baseball field is named after him at the now-385-acre park; and

WHEREAS, After being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Sam Hill and his wife were instrumental in establishing a Memory Café, where those with the disease and their partners could socialize and discuss issues; and

WHEREAS, Sam Hill, alongside fellow Alderman Dorothy Flanagan, won the Dancing With the Geneva Stars competition in 2013, raising money for the Geneva Cultural Arts Commission and the Geneva Academic Foundation; he also portrayed Herr Drosselmeyer in State Street Studios' productions of The Nutcracker ballet; and

WHEREAS, Sam Hill attended the Fox Valley Presbyterian Church, where he sang in the church choir for over 40 years; he took part in the Living Waters of the World mission trip to Guatemala to help install water systems; when devastation struck Gulfport, Mississippi in 2006, he went on a mission trip to install new roofs; and

WHEREAS, Sam Hill loved golfing; in his younger years, he also enjoyed skiing, swimming, and playing racket ball; he was especially fond of taking his grandchildren to concerts, musicals, zoos, and museums and watching their athletic activities; he was an Illini fan and always attended football games in his orange pants and blue Illini shirt; and

WHEREAS, Sam Hill was preceded in death by his parents and brother-in-law, Jack Snader; and

WHEREAS, Sam Hill is survived by his wife of 63 years, Carolyn (Snader); his children, Jennifer (Dan Dworzynski) and Jeffrey (Kathy); and his grandchildren, Mackenzie, Tyler, and Justin; his sister, Sue McClenachan; and other family members; 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 Samuel E. "Sam" Hill 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 Sam Hill as an expression of our deepest sympathy.