Full Text of SR1316 101st General Assembly
SR1316 101ST 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 Ronald "Ron" E. Powell, who passed away | 4 | | on March 22, 2020; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Ron Powell was born in rural Wisconsin on April 5, | 6 | | 1935; he served his country in the United States Army and, | 7 | | following his service, studied at Northern Illinois | 8 | | University, graduating in 1960; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, in 1960, Ron Powell began working for the Jewel | 10 | | Tea Company in DeKalb, where he successfully led the first and | 11 | | only recognition strike against the company; after the strike, | 12 | | he joined the staff of Local 881 (formerly the United Retail | 13 | | Workers Union, Independent); and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Ron Powell began his union career as a field | 15 | | representative in 1961 and was promoted to Director of Field | 16 | | Operations, Vice President of the Executive Board, and | 17 | | Secretary-Treasurer; in 1983, he was elected to the office of | 18 | | president; as president, he built Local 881 into the largest | 19 | | local union in the United Food and Commercial Workers | 20 | | International Union; upon his retirement, he became the longest | 21 | | serving Constitutional Officer of Local 881 UFCW;; he was also | 22 | | elected Vice President of the Illinois AFL-CIO Executive Board |
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| 1 | | on December 4, 1986 and remained a leading voice in its | 2 | | governance under six Illinois AFL-CIO presidents; throughout | 3 | | his career, he vigilantly fought to strengthen the rights of | 4 | | union members throughout Illinois and Northwest Indiana in the | 5 | | workplace and in the halls of government; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Ron Powell committed himself to many educational, | 7 | | philanthropic, and community endeavors, including the Better | 8 | | Boys Foundation, the Little City Foundation, the United Way, | 9 | | the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, and the UFCW | 10 | | Local 881 Charitable Foundation; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, In addition to his work as a trustee for the | 12 | | Village of Mundelein for many years, Ron Powell served a number | 13 | | of organizations, including the Illinois State Board of | 14 | | Investments, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, the Illinois | 15 | | Workers' Compensation Advisory Board, the Amalgamated Bank of | 16 | | Chicago, and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority | 17 | | Board; he was elected as a delegate to the Democratic National | 18 | | Convention in 1996, 2000, and 2008; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, Ron Powell was preceded in death by his beloved | 20 | | wife, Lois, and his grandson, Ryan Fisher; and | 21 | | WHEREAS, Ron Powell is survived by his children, Kelly | 22 | | (Mark) Morrissey, Brad (Joanne) Powell, Steven Powell, and |
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| 1 | | Kerry Fisher; his grandchildren, Nicholas (fiancé Patricia | 2 | | Kutrumanes), Mark (Amanda), Michelle, Matthew, Ronald, | 3 | | Camille, Michael, Tyler (Koni), Trevor (Jasmine), Sean, and | 4 | | Rachel; his great-grandchildren, Braylon, Jaylen, Rylee, and | 5 | | Jax; and his dear friend, Penney Wyman; therefore, be it
| 6 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 7 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
| 8 | | Ronald "Ron" E. Powell and extend our sincere
condolences to | 9 | | his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
him; and be it | 10 | | further
| 11 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
| 12 | | presented to the family of Ron Powell as an expression of
our | 13 | | deepest sympathy.
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