Full Text of HR1333 99th General Assembly
HR1333 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 Ronald E. | 4 | | "Ron" Gray of Jacksonville, who passed away on June 7, 2016; | 5 | | and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Ronald Gray was born in Salina, Kansas to Clarence | 7 | | and Mary Gray on December 27, 1936; he graduated from Sacred | 8 | | Heart High School in Salina and attended Kansas Wesleyan | 9 | | University; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Ronald Gray worked in sales in Salina, Kansas and | 11 | | then North Platte, Nebraska, before moving to Springfield to | 12 | | manage the WMAY radio station; in 1968, he moved his family to | 13 | | Jacksonville to manage WJIL radio which began an almost 50-year | 14 | | love affair with the Jacksonville community; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Ronald Gray was active in the American Business | 16 | | Club and served as Chairman for the Chamber of Commerce, the | 17 | | Comprehensive Planning Committee, the CACHE campaign, and | 18 | | other committees; he also worked with the Central Park Plaza | 19 | | Association and Chapin Big Country Days; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, Ronald Gray received numerous honors for his work, | 21 | | including Jaycees Boss of the Year, American Business Club |
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| 1 | | National Project Manager of the Year, the Illinois College | 2 | | Distinguished Service Award, the Friend of the Theatre Award, | 3 | | and most recently, he was elected a Rotary Club Paul Harris | 4 | | Fellow and received the Chamber Circle of Excellence Award; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, After retiring from WJIL, Ronald Gray managed the | 6 | | Holiday Inn in Jacksonville and served on the Jacksonville Area | 7 | | Convention and Visitors Bureau Board; it was that involvement | 8 | | that led to the establishment of the Grierson Society and | 9 | | General Grierson Civil War Days, a tourism attraction that | 10 | | brought visitors to the area for 20 years; he received the | 11 | | first Friend of Tourism award from the Bureau; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, Ronald Gray's passion for history led to many | 13 | | other community projects, the Save the Wheel committee that | 14 | | brought the ferris wheel to Community Park, helping to | 15 | | establish the Woodlawn Farm Underground Railroad site and the | 16 | | Jacksonville Parks Foundation, and the restoration of the | 17 | | Historic Bandstands at Prairie Land and Community Park; he | 18 | | loved old houses, antique cars, radios and circus toys, riding | 19 | | his scooter around Jacksonville and Marco Island, Florida, and | 20 | | driving his "bucket list" 2002 Camaro convertible; he cherished | 21 | | his friends and family and took great pleasure in the | 22 | | accomplishments of his five grandsons and his only | 23 | | granddaughter, who teasingly called him "Papa Pufferfish", and | 24 | | the joy of a new generation of great grandbabies to spoil; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Ronald Gray was preceded in death by his parents; | 2 | | his sister, Betty Jane Gray; and his first wife, Joyce Knudsen | 3 | | Gray; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, Ronald Gray is survived by his wife, Mary Riley | 5 | | Gray; his son, Stuart Gray; his daughter, Sherri (Greg) Gray | 6 | | Bergschneider; his stepchildren, Chris (Cheryl) Green and | 7 | | Brenda (Bob) Green Cunningham; his six grandchildren, Paul Cody | 8 | | (Sara) Gray, Brady and Brandon (Ashley) Bergschneider, Michael | 9 | | and Connor Cunningham, and Elena Green; his | 10 | | great-grandchildren, Bentley, Kennedy and Hadley Gray, and | 11 | | Parker Bergschneider; his sister, Patricia Marcotte; and four | 12 | | nieces and nephews; therefore, be it
| 13 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 14 | | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 15 | | mourn the passing of Ronald E. "Ron" Gray, and extend our | 16 | | sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew | 17 | | and loved him; and be it further
| 18 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 19 | | presented to the family of Ronald Gray as an expression of our | 20 | | deepest sympathy.
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