Full Text of SR0940 99th General Assembly
SR0940 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | SR0940 | | LRB099 13636 MST 37587 r |
|
| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 | | learn of the death of Donald L. "Donnie" Merlie of Westville, | 4 | | who passed away on July 30, 2015; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Donnie Merlie was born in Brooks, Pennsylvania on | 6 | | February 28, 1922 to Vester and Rose Fava Merlie; he graduated | 7 | | from Westville High School in 1939 and served in the United | 8 | | States Army Air Corps during World War II as a "flyboy"; he | 9 | | co-piloted C-47 cargo planes, carrying paratroopers for the | 10 | | 301st Troop Carrier Squadron, 441st Troop Carrier Group; he | 11 | | flew in the D-Day Invasion, Operation Market Garden, and the | 12 | | Battle of the Bulge; he received the Air Medal, the World War | 13 | | II Victory Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the EAME Theater | 14 | | Medal with 2 Bronze Stars, the Presidential Unit Citation, and | 15 | | the Purple Heart; he married Eleanor Dowiatt on July 10, 1948 | 16 | | in Westville; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, Donnie Merlie was honorable discharged as a | 18 | | Lieutenant; he then went to the University of Illinois, where | 19 | | he received his bachelor's and law degrees; he practiced law in | 20 | | Vermilion County for 55 years, retiring in 2008 at age of 86; | 21 | | during his career, he represented the Village of Westville and | 22 | | Westville schools and was instrumental in the forming of the | 23 | | Westville-Belgium Sanitary District; and |
| | | SR0940 | - 2 - | LRB099 13636 MST 37587 r |
|
| 1 | | WHEREAS, Donnie Merlie was a member of the Vermilion County | 2 | | Airport Authority board, the Westville Lions Club, and the | 3 | | Jaycees; for years, he and other pilots co-owned a Cessna 182, | 4 | | which he flew to his military squadron's reunions and to go | 5 | | quail-hunting, bringing along his bird dogs, most recently his | 6 | | English pointers, Maggie and Spot; his passion was training his | 7 | | well-bred dogs and watching them hunt; he also enjoyed walking, | 8 | | golfing, and tending a large vegetable garden; in his late 80s, | 9 | | he planted a mini-orchard of fruit trees in his backyard; he | 10 | | was recently inducted into the Westville High School Hall of | 11 | | Fame; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Donnie Merlie was preceded in death by his wife, | 13 | | Eleanor; his son, Michael J. (Nancy); and his 3 sisters, | 14 | | Caroline Merlie, Dora Vanzo, and Geraldine Balbach; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Donnie Merlie is survived by his daughters, | 16 | | Melissa Merlie, Patty (Cliff) Merlie, and Carol (Mike) | 17 | | Hatfield; his 4 grandchildren, Tony (Katie) Merlie, Jimmy | 18 | | (Tina) Merlie, Angie Hatfield (Dan) Marker, and Nic Hatfield; | 19 | | his 6 great-grandsons, Joseph, Will, Kyle, and Max Merlie and | 20 | | Johnny and Dean Marker; his niece, Dana Clary; and his nephew, | 21 | | Brian Vanzo; therefore, be it
| 22 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL |
| | | SR0940 | - 3 - | LRB099 13636 MST 37587 r |
|
| 1 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 2 | | Donald L. "Donnie" Merlie, and extend our sincere condolences | 3 | | to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be | 4 | | it further
| 5 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 6 | | presented to the family of Donnie Merlie as an expression of | 7 | | our deepest sympathy.
|
|