Full Text of SR1050 98th General Assembly
SR1050 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 1 | | James Keith Gibson, Sr., and extend our sincere condolences to | 2 | | his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | 3 | | further
| 4 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 5 | | presented to the family of Keith Gibson, Sr. as an expression | 6 | | of our deepest sympathy.
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