Full Text of HR0513 103rd General Assembly
HR0513 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | | HR0513 | | LRB103 35383 MST 65448 r |
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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 John | 4 | | "Jack" Leese, who passed away on September 30, 2023; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, John Leese was born on April 26, 1931 and grew up | 6 | | in Chicago; he graduated from Lane Tech High School in 1949; he | 7 | | served in the United States Marine Corps; he attended Wright | 8 | | Junior College before he graduated from Northwestern | 9 | | University; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, John Leese's wrestling coaching career began as | 11 | | an assistant coach under Walt Sherman at Glenbrook North High | 12 | | School; he then moved to Leyden High School as an assistant | 13 | | coach under Hall of Fame coach Chuck Farina; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, John Leese became the first full time announcer | 15 | | for the Illinois State High School Association wrestling state | 16 | | meet and held that role for five years, which included | 17 | | announcing the Big Ten Championships and the United States | 18 | | versus Russia meet; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, John Leese worked as a physical education teacher | 20 | | at East Leyden High School for 27 years, retiring after the | 21 | | 1989-1990 school year; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, John Leese started as the East Leyden head | 2 | | football coach in 1963, leading the team to a 6 and 2 season | 3 | | and winning the Des Plaines Valley League championship; his | 4 | | team continued winning the title each year from 1970 to 1974, | 5 | | with his 1972 team being named Team of the Year by Chicago | 6 | | Today; and | 7 | | WHEREAS, John Leese had an incredible record of only one | 8 | | losing season in 1964 in his 15 years as head coach, ending his | 9 | | final season with a perfect 13-0 in 1977 at Hancock Stadium at | 10 | | Illinois State University; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, John Leese coached many athletes over the years; | 12 | | his most famous alumnus was three-time Super Bowl-winning Head | 13 | | Coach Mike Shanahan, and more than 50 of his former players | 14 | | became high school and college coaches in football and | 15 | | wrestling; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, John Leese retired from wrestling in 1991, but he | 17 | | continued helping student athletes; he volunteered at the IHSA | 18 | | wrestling state finals up until 2022; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, John Leese received numerous honors throughout | 20 | | his career, including induction into the Lane Tech Hall of | 21 | | Fame (2022-2023), the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame (2015), |
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| 1 | | the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Hall of Fame, the | 2 | | Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of | 3 | | Fame, the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association | 4 | | Hall of Fame, and the Illinois Chapter of National Wrestling | 5 | | Hall of Fame; and | 6 | | WHEREAS, John Leese leaves behind a legacy of service and | 7 | | commitment that continues to inspire student athletes and help | 8 | | them achieve their goals and dreams, and his impact on the | 9 | | lives of student athletes and the East Leyden community will | 10 | | never be forgotten; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, John Leese is survived by his wife, daughter, | 12 | | grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; therefore, be it | 13 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 14 | | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 15 | | we mourn the passing of John "Jack" Leese 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 John Leese as an expression of our | 20 | | deepest sympathy. |
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