Full Text of HR0293 99th General Assembly
HR0293 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Gordon | 4 | | "Gordie" Gillespie, who passed away on February 28, 2015; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Gordie Gillespie was born in Chicago on April 14, | 6 | | 1926 to Earl and Belle (nee Ross) Gillespie; he attended Kelvyn | 7 | | Park High School and graduated from DePaul University; he | 8 | | served in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Gordie Gillespie began his coaching career in 1950 | 10 | | at what is now Lewis University, when he took over the men's | 11 | | basketball program; he remained there until 1965; he also | 12 | | coached the Flyers baseball team from 1953 to 1976 and was | 13 | | athletic director from 1956 to 1976; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, Gordie Gillespie made 8 trips to the National | 15 | | Association of Intercollegiate Athletics World Series during | 16 | | his tenure with Lewis University and won 3 consecutive national | 17 | | titles from
1974 to 1976; in 1975 and 1976, he also coached | 18 | | Joliet Catholic High School to 2 of the 5 State
championships | 19 | | that he won during a 27-year stint that began in 1959; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, In 1976, Gordie Gillespie moved from Lewis | 21 | | University to St. Francis University; he was the school's |
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| 1 | | athletic director from 1976 to 1986; he coached
the Saints' | 2 | | first women's basketball team in the 1976-77 season and was | 3 | | baseball coach from 1976 to 1995; he got back into football in | 4 | | 1986, when he launched the St. Francis program; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Gordie Gillespie never truly retired; he moved to | 6 | | Ripon, Wisconsin in 1996, where he assumed the role of head | 7 | | baseball coach, assisted his son in basketball, and took the | 8 | | Ripon High School football team to its first ever state | 9 | | championship; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, After 1O seasons at Ripon High School, Gordie | 11 | | Gillespie came back to St. Francis University for his second | 12 | | stint as the school's baseball coach; he coached 6 more seasons | 13 | | with the Saints, retiring in 2011 with 1,893 victories - the | 14 | | most by a college
baseball coach at any level at the time; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, Gordie Gillespie he was inducted into Joliet | 16 | | Catholic's Hall of Champions in 2014; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, Gordie Gillespie collected 2,402 coaching wins in | 18 | | 3 different sports over 61 years; he led teams to 4 national | 19 | | titles in college baseball and 5 State titles in high school | 20 | | football; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, Gordie Gillespie was preceded in death by his |
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| 1 | | parents; his wife, Emily; his brother, Earl Gillespie; his aunt | 2 | | and uncle, Howard and Helen Ammeson; his cousin, Donald Ross; | 3 | | his 2 step-sons; and his step-grandson; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, Gordie Gillespie is survived by his wife, Joan | 5 | | Hollister Gillespie; his sons, Bob (Penny), Mike (Connie), | 6 | | Gordie, Jr. (Patty), and Greg (Denise); his 3 daughters, Billie | 7 | | K. (Ron) Shimanski-Lipke, Margaret Mary (John) | 8 | | Gillespie-Koenig, and Jacqueline (Steve) Turk | 9 | | Gillespie-Horvat; his cousin, Doris Pretz; his step-children, | 10 | | Reverend Bruce (Susan) Hollister, Linda (Reverend David) | 11 | | Brown, Betsy (Don) Dvorak, and Brian (Priscilla) Hollister; his | 12 | | 40 grandchildren; his 42 great-grandchildren; and numerous | 13 | | nieces and nephews; therefore, be it
| 14 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 15 | | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 16 | | mourn the passing of Gordon "Gordie" Gillespie, and extend our | 17 | | sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew | 18 | | and loved him; and be it further
| 19 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 20 | | presented to the family of Gordie Gillespie as an expression of | 21 | | our deepest sympathy.
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