Full Text of HR0510 98th General Assembly
HR0510 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives are | 3 | | saddened to learn of the
death of Peoria icon, Harold A. "Pete" | 4 | | Vonachen, on June 10, 2013; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Pete was born on August 31, 1925, in Peoria, to | 6 | | Dr. Harold A. and
Bernice (Verner) Vonachen; he served in the | 7 | | U.S. Navy during World War II; he returned home and
attended | 8 | | Bradley University, graduating in 1949; and he married Donna J. | 9 | | Hurst on May 11, 1957, in Peoria; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, In 1955, Pete opened Vonachen's Junction | 11 | | restaurant, whose iconic railroad cars,
great food, and owner's | 12 | | larger-than-life personality drew patrons from throughout the | 13 | | State;
he sold the restaurant in 1970 and became president of | 14 | | Peoria Blacktop, Inc.; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, Pete rescued professional baseball in Peoria when | 16 | | he purchased the Peoria Suns in
1983; his commitment to family | 17 | | entertainment led to many highly successful Peoria Chiefs
| 18 | | teams, alternating with Cardinals' and Cubs' affiliations; | 19 | | past and future Hall of Fame players
have played in now, Dozer | 20 | | Park, one of the nation's finest Class A stadiums; and | 21 | | WHEREAS, Over his lifetime Pete served as commodore for the |
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| 1 | | Illinois Valley Yacht and Canoe
Club, president of the Peoria | 2 | | Pacers College Baseball Team, director of the Greater Peoria | 3 | | Sports Hall of
Fame, director of the Peoria Cerebral Palsy | 4 | | Board, and member of the St. Thomas Parochial School Board; he | 5 | | was president
of the advisory board for OSF St. Francis Medical | 6 | | Center, vice-president and a trustee for the Peoria Park
| 7 | | District, chairman of the City of Peoria Liquor Commission, a | 8 | | member of the Bradley University Chiefs Club,
president of | 9 | | Peoria Mobile Medic Ambulance Co., and a member of the board of | 10 | | trustees for Bradley University;
he also served as chairman for | 11 | | the Salvation Army Tree of Lights and as honorary chairman of | 12 | | the Children's Miracle Network
Telethon at the Children's | 13 | | Hospital of Illinois; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, Pete was awarded the Neve Harms Meritorious | 15 | | Service Sports Award in 1979, the Bradley University | 16 | | Distinguished Alumni Award in
1985, the Sporting News | 17 | | Professional Baseball Class A Minor League Executive of the | 18 | | Year in
1985, the Tri-County Sports Figure of the Year in 1985, | 19 | | the Bradley University Centurion in 1986, the
University of | 20 | | Notre Dame Man of the Year in 1988, the
Caterpillar Community | 21 | | Service Award, the Salvation Army Other Award in 1991, the | 22 | | Lewis Burger
Outstanding Volunteer Fundraising Award in 1992, | 23 | | the National Society of Fundraising Executives
Philanthropy | 24 | | Award in 1992, the Robert H. Michel
Lifetime Achievement Award | 25 | | in 2002, the Ambassador of Baseball-State of Illinois Chicago |
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| 1 | | Pitch
and Hit Club Award in 2005, and the Lions Club | 2 | | Outstanding Achievement Award for JJ Anderson
Basketball Camp | 3 | | in 2009; he was inducted into the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of | 4 | | Fame in 1979, the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame 1988, and | 5 | | the Bradley University Sports Hall of Fame in 1994; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Pete met his best friend, Harry Caray, while | 7 | | managing concessions at Bradley
University Fieldhouse in 1950; | 8 | | the Hall of Fame broadcaster would routinely call out to "my
| 9 | | good friend, Pete Vonachen, in Peoria" during Cubs games; his | 10 | | 1998 eulogy for Harry was
celebrated nationally for its humor | 11 | | and its humanity; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Pete was cherished far and wide for his | 13 | | extraordinary sense of humor, friendships
with those he | 14 | | encountered from all walks of life, and his love for baseball; | 15 | | and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, Pete was preceded in death by his wife, Donna; his | 17 | | parents; his
brothers, Jack and Tom; and his sisters, Mary Ann, | 18 | | Bobbie, and Marta; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, Pete is survived by his daughter, Mary "Mikie" | 20 | | Shadid; his sons, Rocky, Greg (Kathy), Dan
(Jennifer), and Mark | 21 | | (Amy); his sister, Susie (Jim) Dawson; his
grandchildren, Megan | 22 | | Vonachen, Lauren Shadid, Abby Vonachen, Erica Vonachen, Claire
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| 1 | | Vonachen, Michelle Vonachen, Druschel Vonachen, Jabe Vonachen, | 2 | | Natalie Vonachen, and Jac
Vonachen; therefore, be it
| 3 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 4 | | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 5 | | we mourn the passing of Harold A. "Pete" Vonachen and extend | 6 | | our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who | 7 | | knew and loved him; and be it further
| 8 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 9 | | presented to the family of Pete Vonachen
as an expression of | 10 | | our deepest sympathy.
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