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1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to |
3 | | learn of the death of Harold A. "Pete" Vonachen Jr. of Peoria, |
4 | | who passed away on June 10, 2013; and
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5 | | WHEREAS, Harold Vonachen Jr. was born on August 31, 1925, |
6 | | in Peoria to Dr. Harold A. and Bernice (Verner) Vonachen; he |
7 | | served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and upon returning |
8 | | attended Bradley University, graduating in 1949; he married |
9 | | Donna J. Hurst on May 11, 1957, in Peoria; and
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10 | | WHEREAS, Harold Vonachen Jr. began his business career by |
11 | | working in the food industry, taking a part-time job running |
12 | | Field House concessions at Bradley University; he moved to |
13 | | Murphy's in 1953, where he worked as a maitre'd; in 1955, he |
14 | | opened his own business, Vonachen's Junction in the Junction |
15 | | City shopping area; he began to branch out from the food |
16 | | industry and from 1965 to 1976 served as the general manager |
17 | | and investor in Vonachen's Hyatt Lodge; he sold the restaurant |
18 | | in 1970 and became president of Peoria Blacktop Inc.; in 1978, |
19 | | he became the general partner and developer for Days Inn Motel |
20 | | in Peoria until 1985; and
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21 | | WHEREAS, Harold Vonachen Jr.'s baseball career began in |
22 | | 1983 when he purchased the Peoria Chiefs minor league baseball |
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1 | | team; and
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2 | | WHEREAS, Harold Vonachen Jr. lifetime achievements |
3 | | consisted of commodore and board of directors for the Illinois |
4 | | Valley Yacht and Canoe Club, president of the Peoria Pacers |
5 | | College Baseball Team, director of the Greater Peoria Sports |
6 | | Hall of Fame, director of the Peoria Cerebral Palsy Board, |
7 | | board member of the St. Thomas Parochial School Board, |
8 | | president and member of the advisory board of OSF St. Francis |
9 | | Medical Center, vice-president and trustee of the Peoria Park |
10 | | District, chairman of the Liquor Commission for the City of |
11 | | Peoria, member of the State of Illinois Recreational Advisory |
12 | | Committee, board member of the Bradley University Chiefs' Club, |
13 | | honorary member of the Bradley University B-Club, director and |
14 | | president of Peoria Mobile Medic Ambulance Co., member of the |
15 | | board of trustees for Bradley University, chairman of the |
16 | | Salvation Army Tree of Lights, honorary chairman of the |
17 | | Children's Miracle Network Telethon at the Children's Hospital |
18 | | of Illinois, board member for the Children's Hospital of |
19 | | Illinois, member of the Ivy Club, member of the Peoria Country |
20 | | Club, and member of the Independent Sports Club; and |
21 | | WHEREAS, Harold Vonachen Jr. was awarded the Neve Harms |
22 | | Meritorious Service Sports Award in 1979, inducted into the |
23 | | Greater Sports Hall of Fame in 1979, awarded the Bradley |
24 | | University Distinguished Alumni Award in 1985, the Sporting |
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1 | | News Professional Baseball Class A Minor League Executive of |
2 | | the Year in 1985, the Midwest League Executive of the Year in |
3 | | 1985, the Tri-County Sports Figure of the Year in 1985, the |
4 | | Bradley University Centurion in 1986, the University of Notre |
5 | | Dame Man of the Year in 1988, inducted into the Greater Peoria |
6 | | Sports Hall of Fame in 1988, awarded the Caterpillar Community |
7 | | Service Award, the Salvation Army "Other" Award in 1991, the |
8 | | Lewis Burger Outstanding Volunteer Fundraising Award in 1992, |
9 | | the National Society of Fundraising Executives Philanthropy |
10 | | Award in 1992, inducted into the Bradley University Sports Hall |
11 | | of Fame in 1994, awarded the Robert H. Michael Lifetime |
12 | | Achievement Award in 2002, the Ambassador of Baseball-State of |
13 | | Illinois' Chicago Pitch and Hit Club Award in 2005, the Lions |
14 | | Club Outstanding Achievement Award in 2008, and the Lifetime |
15 | | Achievement Award for J.J. Anderson Basketball Club in 2009; |
16 | | and |
17 | | WHEREAS, Harold Vonachen Jr. was preceded in death by his |
18 | | wife, Donna; his parents; his brothers, Jack and Tom; and his |
19 | | sisters, Mary Ann, Bobbie, and Marta; and
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20 | | WHEREAS, Harold Vonachen Jr. is survived by his daughter, |
21 | | Mary "Mikie" Shadid; his sons, Rocky, Greg (Kathy), Dan |
22 | | (Jennifer), and Mark (Amy); his sister, Susie (Jim) Dawson; and |
23 | | his grandchildren, Megan Vonachen, Lauren Shadid, Abby |
24 | | Vonachen, Erica Vonachen, Claire Vonachen, Michelle Vonachen, |
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1 | | Druschel Vonachen, Olivia Vonachen, Jabe Vonachen, Natalie |
2 | | Vonachen, and Jac Vonachen; therefore, be it
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3 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL |
4 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of |
5 | | Harold Vonachen Jr., and extend our sincere condolences to his |
6 | | family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it |
7 | | further
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8 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copy of this resolution be |
9 | | presented to the family of Harold Vonachen Jr. as an expression |
10 | | of our deepest sympathy.
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