Full Text of SR0543 102nd General Assembly
SR0543 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 Reverend Alphonso Lyons Jr. of Peoria, | 4 | | who passed away on September 21, 2021; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Alphonso Lyons was born in Peoria to | 6 | | Alphonso Sr. and Ellora (Derrick) Lyons on March 22, 1949; he | 7 | | graduated from Manual High School in 1967 and from Bradley | 8 | | University in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in Sociology and | 9 | | Religious Studies; he later received a master's degree in | 10 | | Education and Administration from Bradley; he was ordained in | 11 | | 1974; he married Cheryl G. Green in 1975, and they had two | 12 | | children together; he later married Charlene Grant Coates, and | 13 | | they raised five children together; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Alphonso Lyons served as an assistant | 15 | | pastor under the guidance of Dr. Wendall R. Phillips at Mount | 16 | | Zion Baptist Church; in May of 1974, he began serving as | 17 | | interim pastor; in October of 1974, the church selected him as | 18 | | the head pastor, where he has been known for his gentleness and | 19 | | his dynamic teaching style; he also worked as a substitute | 20 | | teacher for Peoria Public Schools for many years, teaching | 21 | | several subjects, including French; and
| 22 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Alphonso Lyons donated his time and |
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| 1 | | talents to numerous organizations, including serving as | 2 | | chairman of the Peoria Christian Leadership Council, as | 3 | | moderator of the Central District Congress, as past president | 4 | | of the Central District Association, as chairman of the board | 5 | | of the Peoria Christian Leadership
Council, as a member of the | 6 | | Peoria Baptist Ministerial Alliance,
as a member of the Peoria | 7 | | Ministerial Economic Development
organization, as a member of | 8 | | the Committee to Establish a Peoria Charter School, as a | 9 | | member of the Peoria Lion's Club, as a board member of the | 10 | | Manual High School Advisory Board, as past president of the | 11 | | Central District Congress, as a past corresponding secretary | 12 | | for the Baptist General State Convention
of Illinois | 13 | | (2002-2008), as a past instructor for the Central District | 14 | | Congress, as a past instructor for the Baptist General State | 15 | | Convention of Illinois
(1976-1979), and as a past secretary | 16 | | for the PAMA (Peoria Area Ministerial Association); he also | 17 | | was a former contributing writer to the religious column in | 18 | | the Peoria
Journal Star; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, Always looking for ways to make his church and | 20 | | the community more financially grounded, Reverend Alphonso | 21 | | Lyons founded Mount Zions' Effort to Equip the Community | 22 | | (METEC), a community development corporation that provides | 23 | | resources to help families and individuals with housing and | 24 | | employment; he served on METEC's board since its inception in | 25 | | 2001; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Alphonso Lyons was preceded in death by | 2 | | his father and four grandchildren, Jeremiah Hayes, Deshaun | 3 | | Hayes, Jazmine "BJ" Ivy, and Brandon Grant; and | 4 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Alphonso Lyons is survived by his loving | 5 | | and devoted wife, Charlene Lyons; his children, Devon Lyons, | 6 | | Frank Coates, Willie Coates, Crystal Grant, and Danielle | 7 | | Lyons; his loving mother, Ellora Lyons; his siblings, Michael | 8 | | Lyons, Don (Annie) Lyons, Curtis Lyons, Charla (Rev. James) | 9 | | Fleming, Cheryll (Keith) Boswell, and Ruthi Lyons; his 20 | 10 | | grandchildren; his host of great-grandchildren; his host of | 11 | | nieces and nephews; and his other relatives, friends and the | 12 | | Mount Zion Baptist Church family; therefore, be it
| 13 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL | 14 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 15 | | Reverend Alphonso Lyons Jr. and extend our sincere condolences | 16 | | to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be | 17 | | it further
| 18 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 19 | | presented to the family of Reverend Alphonso Lyons as an | 20 | | expression of our deepest sympathy.
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