Full Text of SR0429 102nd General Assembly
SR0429 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | 3 | | to learn of the death of George L. "Sonny" Roebuck Jr., who | 4 | | passed away on March 29, 2021; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, George Roebuck Jr. earned his associate's degree | 6 | | in Theology from Indiana University; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, George Roebuck Jr. served as a social worker in | 8 | | the 1960s, where he helped organize and lead an employee | 9 | | walk-out strike to force the Dayton Welfare Department's | 10 | | administration to fairly distribute welfare monies to | 11 | | minorities; he helped form the Dayton Model Cities Program in | 12 | | 1965, which eventually became federally funded and was | 13 | | designed to make a noticeable impact on the racial, social, | 14 | | economic, justice, and physical problems of cities nationwide; | 15 | | in that same year, he helped lead the City of Dayton to involve | 16 | | minority citizens' participation in the decision-making | 17 | | process of the city's administrative policies that affected | 18 | | minority communities and lifestyles; he also assisted in the | 19 | | formation of Community Rights to Know, which later became the | 20 | | National Endorsements Access Model Cities Alumni Reunion; | 21 | | among his many accomplishments, he helped to initiate the | 22 | | Dayton Priority Boards, the Neighborhood Leadership Training | 23 | | Institute, and the Preserve Conserve Our Identity |
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| 1 | | organization; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, George Roebuck Jr. was a Republican politician | 3 | | who campaigned for candidates running for local, county, | 4 | | state, and federal offices; his campaign strategies helped to | 5 | | win minority votes for current Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in | 6 | | 2018; he belonged to several campaigns and committees, | 7 | | including Tony Hall's Congressional Advisory Committee, Ohio | 8 | | Senator Tom Roberts' Advisory Committee, the Bush-Cheney | 9 | | Re-election Campaign as chairman of Minority Affairs, the | 10 | | Executive Committee, and the Central Committees of the | 11 | | Montgomery County Republican Party; he served as chairman of | 12 | | the Minority Committee of the Montgomery County Republican | 13 | | Party for many years; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, George Roebuck Jr. was also a songwriter, and he | 15 | | co-wrote the lyrics of "You're A Sight for Sore Eyes" on an | 16 | | album for Dayton's famous Ohio Players; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, George Roebuck Jr. worked with nonprofit, | 18 | | private, and construction industries in attempts to restore | 19 | | vacant buildings in the declining Dayton View neighborhood | 20 | | where he lived; he was in the process of writing a proposal to | 21 | | prevent a planned relocation of Project C.U.R.E.'s drug | 22 | | addiction treatment program out of West Dayton when he became | 23 | | ill; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, George Roebuck Jr. was a member of the Ethan | 2 | | Temple Seventh-Day Adventist Church, the National Association | 3 | | for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Southern | 4 | | Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), The Model Cities | 5 | | Planning Council, Northwest Priority Board, and the Southern | 6 | | Dayton View Association; he co-founded the Dayton Youth | 7 | | Coalition; he loved cooking, eating, and fellowship with | 8 | | family, friends, and neighbors; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, George Roebuck Jr. was known for being talented, | 10 | | highly skilled, and one of a kind; he was always there to | 11 | | supply, support, and guide towards a resolution, whether it | 12 | | was providing housing, employment, assistance with getting out | 13 | | of jail, supplying food, or referring people to appropriate | 14 | | professionals and agencies; he will be remembered as a beloved | 15 | | community activist, leader, friend, and mentor; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, George Roebuck Jr. was preceded in death by his | 17 | | parents, George L. Roebuck Sr. and Vivian Roebuck; therefore, | 18 | | be it
| 19 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL | 20 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 21 | | George L. "Sonny" Roebuck Jr. and extend our sincere | 22 | | condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved |
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| 1 | | him; and be it further
| 2 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 3 | | presented to the family of George Roebuck Jr. as an expression | 4 | | of our deepest sympathy.
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