|
| | SR1050 | | LRB098 20713 MST 57923 r |
|
|
1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
|
2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to |
3 | | learn of the death of James "Keith" Gibson, Sr.; and
|
4 | | WHEREAS, Keith Gibson was born to Orville and Ethel Gibson |
5 | | and was raised in the homestead farmhouse built by his |
6 | | grandfather along Dulton Creek off of the Mississippi River |
7 | | near Huron, Iowa; he studied in a one-room schoolhouse and |
8 | | graduated in a class of 8 students; he had a passion for |
9 | | reading and playing baseball; and
|
10 | | WHEREAS, At the age of 18, Keith Gibson became a |
11 | | well-known, semi-pro baseball player, playing for the Texaco |
12 | | Fire Chiefs; the legendary Babe Ruth made a trip over to Iowa |
13 | | to watch him and his best friend, Roy Swan, play and they both |
14 | | were invited to the Chicago Cubs spring training camp in the |
15 | | spring of 1940; and
|
16 | | WHEREAS, Upon the outbreak of World War II, Keith Gibson |
17 | | and his friend, Roy, put aside their baseball aspirations and |
18 | | joined the United States Navy, with Keith becoming a decorated |
19 | | WWII pilot and the youngest Squadron Patrol Commander in the |
20 | | South Atlantic Fleet; and
|
21 | | WHEREAS, Keith Gibson married Sara "Sally" Wiens on October |
|
| | SR1050 | - 2 - | LRB098 20713 MST 57923 r |
|
|
1 | | 19, 1945 while attending the University of Missouri law school; |
2 | | he became an attorney and land developer, developing more than |
3 | | 2000 homes including Aurora's Sans Souci, Beau Ridge, Heritage |
4 | | Green, the Aurora Hilton Inn, and 300 apartment units; later in |
5 | | life, he developed an energy machine hoping to help under |
6 | | privileged countries with better energy sources; and
|
7 | | WHEREAS, On Keith Gibson's 90th birthday - April 9, 2011 - |
8 | | his hometown of Aurora honored him by declaring it "Keith |
9 | | Gibson Day in Aurora", recognizing his many professional and |
10 | | charitable accomplishments, such as serving as President of the |
11 | | Wayside Cross Mission, President of the Aurora Rotary Club, |
12 | | Trustee/Elder of the First Presbyterian Church, being named |
13 | | "Humanitarian of the Year" by the Kiwanis Club, and being a |
14 | | founding board member of the Parkview Christian Academy of |
15 | | Yorkville, as well as a founding member of Aurora Christian |
16 | | Schools, where he served as long-time director of finance and |
17 | | was a loyal Aurora Christian Eagles fan; and |
18 | | WHEREAS, Keith Gibson and his wife, Sara, had 4 children, |
19 | | Linda (Dudley), Barbara (Neely), Beverly (Aieta), and James, |
20 | | Jr., as well as many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, |
21 | | whom he loved dearly; therefore, be it
|
22 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL |
23 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of |