Full Text of HR0420 103rd General Assembly
HR0420 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | | HR0420 | | LRB103 34538 MST 64372 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 Edward | 4 | | Louis "Ed" Wilson, who passed away on September 4, 2023; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Ed Wilson was born in Hammond, Louisiana to | 6 | | Hattie Barney and Connie Wilson on January 30, 1916; his | 7 | | family migrated to Chicago during the 1920s; he graduated from | 8 | | Tilden Technical High School in Chicago and then spent five | 9 | | years working to support the family and to save for college; he | 10 | | worked as a Pullman Porter during that period; he graduated | 11 | | from West Virginia State College with a degree in electrical | 12 | | engineering in 1942, where he became a member of Alpha Phi | 13 | | Alpha Fraternity in 1941 and was their oldest living member; | 14 | | he married Odessa on August 20, 1942; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, Ed Wilson was recruited to join the Tuskegee | 16 | | Airmen while at West Virginia State College but instead chose | 17 | | to serve in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, the predecessor of the | 18 | | Air Force, in San Bernardino, California; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, Ed Wilson was an early Black entrepreneur; he | 20 | | formed a business in the 1950s that developed and tested | 21 | | oscilloscopes for the military, becoming one of the first | 22 | | Black government contractors; he closed that business and |
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| 1 | | later formed a partnership with some friends known as the | 2 | | Practical Trades Institute, which specialized in training | 3 | | electricians, TV repairmen, and others in a variety of | 4 | | trades/crafts; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Ed Wilson decided to find more steady work with | 6 | | engineering firms and soon earned a reputation as a top-notch | 7 | | quality assurance specialist, which carried through his | 8 | | career; at one firm he was chosen to be part of the team at | 9 | | NASA that designed, tested, and equipped space suits for | 10 | | astronauts; at another firm, he was frequently commended for | 11 | | outstanding quality testing and innovation of automotive and | 12 | | industrial supply equipment; during this time, he also was | 13 | | asked to work alongside the federal administration on the Task | 14 | | Force for Youth Motivation created under President Lyndon B. | 15 | | Johnson; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Ed Wilson and Odessa Wilson were one of the | 17 | | founding families of Kelly United Methodist Church, which | 18 | | recently celebrated its 70th Anniversary; he was recognized | 19 | | with their Lifetime Achievement and Service Award and served | 20 | | as the church treasurer for many years; and | 21 | | WHEREAS, Ed Wilson was the first Black Eagle Scout in the | 22 | | Chicago area and an avid golf fan, which he continued to play | 23 | | into his late 80s; he was affectionately known as "PaPoo", |
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| 1 | | bestowed upon him by his grandson, Brian; and | 2 | | WHEREAS, Ed Wilson was preceded in death by his wife of | 3 | | nearly 73 years, Odessa "MaMa", and his siblings, Vivian | 4 | | Harris, Bernice Haywood, and Donald Carroway; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Ed Wilson is survived by his children, Robert, | 6 | | Bruce (Cathy), and Paula (Bill); his grandchildren, Warren | 7 | | Wilson, Ester Wilson, Marcus (Pam) Wilson, Bridget (James) | 8 | | Cravens-Neely, Brian Wilson, Steven (Jessica) Wilson, Tiffany | 9 | | (Josh) Bulliner Johnson, Willis Jack Bulliner III, and Dana | 10 | | (Desmond) Bulliner Ervin; 18 great-grandchildren; four | 11 | | great-great-grandchildren; and numerous extended family and | 12 | | friends; 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 Edward Louis "Ed" Wilson 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 Ed Wilson as an expression of our | 20 | | deepest sympathy. |
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