Full Text of SR0088 102nd General Assembly
SR0088 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 Anthony J. "Tony" Leone Jr. of | 4 | | Springfield, who passed away on February 3, 2021; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. was born in Springfield to Anthony | 6 | | J. Leone Sr. and Evelyn Mussato Leone on September 1, 1950; he | 7 | | graduated from Griffin High School; he earned his associate | 8 | | degree from Springfield College and his bachelor's degree in | 9 | | Economics from the University of Illinois at Springfield; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. capped a long career in public | 11 | | service as the chief clerk of the Illinois House of | 12 | | Representatives between 1981 and 1983; he previously served as | 13 | | the assistant clerk of the House between 1979 and 1980, a | 14 | | position he held again between 1983 and 1992; he also held | 15 | | various positions at the Illinois State Board of Elections and | 16 | | the Springfield Election Commission; his first job was as the | 17 | | chief clerk of the Sangamon County Election Office; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, Following his service to the Illinois House, Tony | 19 | | Leone Jr. served as director of the office's Index Department | 20 | | under then-Secretary of State George H. Ryan Sr.; he led a | 21 | | successful effort to reform and re-write the operational rules | 22 | | of the Illinois Lobbyist Registration Act; he served as |
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| 1 | | chairman of the State Property Tax Appeal Board between 1990 | 2 | | and 1992, the Sangamon County Board of Review between 1985 and | 3 | | 1990, and the City of Springfield Rules and Regulations Review | 4 | | Commission between 1995 and 1999; he also served as | 5 | | vice-chairman of the 1992 Springfield Election Commission | 6 | | Advisory Task Force on the Springfield Metropolitan & | 7 | | Exposition Auditorium Authority, the Illinois Secretary of | 8 | | State Ethics Commission, the Illinois State Museum Board, and | 9 | | the Advisory Board of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential | 10 | | Library; he served on the State commission that helped select | 11 | | the Illinois commemorative quarter design in 2003; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. was a nationally recognized | 13 | | innovator in the use of electronic recordkeeping and reporting | 14 | | for political campaign financial records and submissions; he | 15 | | opened Illinois Campaign Reporting Systems in 1985 and served | 16 | | as its president until 1999; he was also the principal of the | 17 | | Springfield-based lobbying firm Leone & Associates for many | 18 | | years; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. was a well-respected figure in | 20 | | Illinois Republican politics for 15 years; he was the | 21 | | executive director of the Sangamon County Republican | 22 | | Foundation; he served as the assistant treasurer of the | 23 | | Illinois Republican State Party for eight years; he was also | 24 | | the publisher of party newspaper The Republican for 15 years; |
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| 1 | | and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. lovingly restored the 125 year old | 3 | | Pasfield House, located just west of the State Capitol | 4 | | complex, which he opened as a bed and breakfast and a unique | 5 | | event facility in 2002; over the years, he hosted a continuous | 6 | | stream of dinners, receptions, fundraisers, and events for | 7 | | numerous charitable causes, community award presentations, | 8 | | book signings, and political campaigns; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. was considered an expert on | 10 | | Springfield's early history and a strong proponent of the | 11 | | preservation of the city's historic sites; he served on the | 12 | | Illinois State Capitol Historic Preservation Advisory Board; | 13 | | he produced a photographic calendar that captured the beauty | 14 | | of the Illinois State Capitol's architecture in 2010; he was | 15 | | recognized by the General Assembly for his efforts to bring | 16 | | revitalization to the neighborhood directly west of the | 17 | | Illinois State Capitol complex in 2004; he also co-authored | 18 | | the book Springfield Celebrated Horseshoe Sandwich; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. was known for being jovial, full | 20 | | of life, gracious, and thoughtful; he enjoyed dining with | 21 | | friends, leading the table in old stories, self-deprecating | 22 | | humor, and laughing; when traveling outside of Springfield, he | 23 | | enjoyed visiting New Orleans, Louisiana and Charleston, South |
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| 1 | | Carolina; he was admired and loved by many; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. was preceded in death by his | 3 | | parents; and | 4 | | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. is survived by his significant | 5 | | other, Catherine L. "Cathy" Cragoe; therefore, be it
| 6 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL | 7 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 8 | | Anthony J. "Tony" Leone Jr. and extend our sincere condolences | 9 | | to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be | 10 | | it further
| 11 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 12 | | presented to the family of Tony Leone Jr. as an expression of | 13 | | our deepest sympathy.
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