Full Text of SR0923 97th General Assembly
SR0923 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are deeply | 3 | | saddened to learn of the death of Clarence Henry Smithson, who | 4 | | passed away on September 18, 2012; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Clarence Smithson was born on November 4, 1931, to | 6 | | John Lee and Lou Ora Smithson, the eighth child of 10; he | 7 | | attended St. Vincent de Paul grade school, Immaculate Mother | 8 | | High School, and Xavier University in New Orleans; he received | 9 | | his bachelors of science degree in biology and his master's | 10 | | degree in science education from Tennessee A&I State | 11 | | University; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Clarence Smithson married Abbie on July 17, 1952, | 13 | | her birthday; they soon had 3 daughters, Janice, Jacquelyn, and | 14 | | Jean; he bragged that he named all 3 daughters; 10 years later | 15 | | they had two sons, Clarence Jr. and Clarence III; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, Clarence Smithson served as a medic in the United | 17 | | States Armed Forces from August 1953 to August 1955, at Fort | 18 | | Knox, Kentucky; he worked as a lab technician at Vanderbuilt | 19 | | University and taught biology at Cameron High School; he then | 20 | | went to work for World Book Encyclopedia and worked for them | 21 | | for 31 years in various managerial positions, until retiring
in | 22 | | 1991; he met every sales goal and won several contests at World |
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| 1 | | Book Encyclopedia, and in 1961 won the coveted Flying Circus | 2 | | Award, which came with a trip around the world for 30 days; he | 3 | | and Abbie would see France, England, Egypt, Thailand, India, | 4 | | and Hawaii; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Clarence Smithson and Abbie moved to Country Club | 6 | | Hills in 1980; they were members of St. Emeric's Catholic | 7 | | Church and have been involved in several ministries; in 1982, | 8 | | Clarence and Abbie welcomed their daughter, Janice and their | 9 | | granddaughters, Toi and Briana, into their home to live; in | 10 | | October of 1997, Clarence and Abbie were honored by the diocese | 11 | | with the Tolton Award for Catholic stewardship and service; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Clarence Smithson and Abbie purchased 7 homes | 13 | | through the years, and Clarence enjoyed spending his time | 14 | | revamping and rebuilding the basements of these homes to create | 15 | | recreation rooms for his family and friends to enjoy; he was an | 16 | | avid pool player, and enjoyed listening to music and playing | 17 | | table tennis with anyone who came into his home; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, Clarence Smithson was preceded in death by his | 19 | | parents, John and Lou Ora; his siblings, John Smithson Jr., | 20 | | Mary Craighead, Launa Craighead, and Lael Fields; and his two | 21 | | sons, Clarence Jr. and Clarence III; and | 22 | | WHEREAS, Clarence Smithson is survived by his wife, Abbie; |
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| 1 | | his daughters, Janice (Elbert) Heno, Jacquelyn Howard, and Jean | 2 | | Smithson-Bell; his grandchildren, Toi (Paul) Hutchinson, | 3 | | Briana (David) Ramsey, Dwight Howard II, Jordan Bell, and | 4 | | Joseph Bell; his great-grandchildren, Paul Hutchinson Jr., | 5 | | Camryn Hutchinson, Ryan Hutchinson, Diondre Howard, and David | 6 | | Ramsey Jr.; his sisters, Dorcas Alley, Verleon Grant, Kitty | 7 | | Haswell, and Sister Sandra Smithson; and more than 400 nieces | 8 | | and nephews spanning 5 generations; therefore, be it
| 9 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL | 10 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 11 | | Clarence Smithson, and we extend our sincere condolences to his | 12 | | family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | 13 | | further
| 14 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 15 | | presented to the family of Clarence Smithson as an expression | 16 | | of our deepest sympathy.
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