Full Text of HR0726 99th General Assembly
HR0726 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 Anthony | 4 | | Yaw Sarfo Kwateng of Munster, Indiana, who passed away on July | 5 | | 1, 2015; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Anthony Kwateng was born in Atimatin, Maase, Ghana | 7 | | on September 27, 1948 to Nana Akwasi
Kyere Kwateng, Boagyaa | 8 | | Yokohene, and Obaa Panin Akosua Obour Serwaa; he began his | 9 | | early education at Kwabere, Maase and later transferred to St. | 10 | | Joseph
Catholic School in Kumasi, Ghana; he was class captain | 11 | | and a
leader in the Baiden Powell Boys Scout Group at St. | 12 | | Joseph's School; he played soccer, establishing himself as a | 13 | | brilliant goalkeeper; after graduating from St. Joseph's,
he | 14 | | continued his education at the Tamale Government Technical | 15 | | School in the northern part
of Ghana; he completed his | 16 | | technical school education at Takoradi Polytechnic in the | 17 | | Western
Region of Ghana in 1963, with a diploma in building | 18 | | technology; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, In 1964, Anthony Kwateng began working in Accra, | 20 | | Ghana with the Ghana Water and Sewerage
Corporation as an | 21 | | Assistant Quantity Surveyor; he married Mary Winifred Nyam in | 22 | | Agona Asafo, Ghana in 1971, and, in 1972, immigrated to the | 23 | | United States in search of better opportunities; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Anthony Kwateng's wife joined him in the U.S. in | 2 | | 1973 and they settled in Maywood; he studied at Triton College | 3 | | and began working for the Holloway Tiling Company as an | 4 | | estimator and then J. Wright & Sons; he moved his family to | 5 | | Gary, Indiana and began working for Means Developers as a Chief | 6 | | Estimator and Project Manager; on May 23, 1982, he graduated | 7 | | from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in | 8 | | Construction
Technology and 2 associates degrees in | 9 | | supervision and architectural technology; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, While continuing his work with Means Developers, | 11 | | Anthony Kwateng began pursuing his
own entrepreneurial goals; | 12 | | he invested in a restaurant in Gary, Indiana called Cindy's and | 13 | | opened an office supply store; in 1984, he co-founded Oakley | 14 | | Construction Company, Inc. in Chicago, the first major | 15 | | Ghanaian-African/American construction company with offices in | 16 | | the U.S. and Ghana; he served as Vice-President and Secretary | 17 | | of the company from its founding until his passing; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, Anthony Kwateng was a
founding member of the | 19 | | Asanteman Association of Chicago and the Ghana USA Chamber
of | 20 | | Commerce; he was an active member of Black Contractors United
| 21 | | and an avid supporter of local chapters of the National Society | 22 | | of Black Engineers; he often did philanthropic work in
the 15th | 23 | | Ward/Englewood neighborhood, feeding the homeless, supporting |
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| 1 | | battered women's
shelters, and donating to the Chicago Housing | 2 | | Authorities' Children's Christmas programs; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, Anthony Kwateng volunteered during Black History | 4 | | Month, visiting local Gary schools
to educate children on | 5 | | Ghanaian culture and history; during his free time, he could
be | 6 | | found blasting Ghanaian music throughout the house, supporting | 7 | | family and friends in the
local Ghanaian community at various | 8 | | events, working on
his latest business venture, or working out, | 9 | | which for him included a long walk on the treadmill
and an even | 10 | | longer stay in the steam room at his local gym; he also enjoyed | 11 | | watching CNN or sports; he served as President of the Parent | 12 | | Teacher's Association at his children's school and was always | 13 | | the loudest spectator at their events; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, Anthony Kwateng was a greeter at his church St. | 15 | | Thomas Moore in Munster, Indiana until he became a
founding | 16 | | patron of the Ghanaian Catholic Community Church of Chicago; he | 17 | | devoted the last
several years of his life to the church; he | 18 | | was also a dedicated member of the Catholic Charismatic Prayer | 19 | | Group; as a patron and
member of the church choir, he always | 20 | | provided for the needs and welfare of the choir; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, Anthony Kwateng is survived by his wife, Mary; his | 22 | | daughters, Odilia Kwateng, Antoinette Kwateng-Brimah (Ali), | 23 | | and Akua
Kwateng-Bonsu (William); his son, Prince Kwaku Afriyie |
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| 1 | | Kwateng (Ashley); his grandchildren,
DeAnthoni, Malachi, Myia, | 2 | | McKenzie, and Nathaniel; and a host of nieces, nephews, family,
| 3 | | and friends; therefore, be it
| 4 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 5 | | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 6 | | mourn the passing of Anthony Yaw Sarfo Kwateng, and extend our | 7 | | sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew | 8 | | and loved him; and be it further
| 9 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 10 | | presented to the family of Anthony Kwateng as an expression of | 11 | | our deepest sympathy.
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