Full Text of SR1011 101st General Assembly
SR1011 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 | | learn of the death of William "Bill" Richard Schnirring of | 4 | | Springfield, who passed away on January 26, 2020; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Bill Schnirring was born to William Robert and | 6 | | Marion Vernor Schnirring in Springfield on March 1, 1929; he | 7 | | attended Springfield Public Schools, and in his youth, he was | 8 | | an active member of Boy Scout Troop #7; he graduated from | 9 | | Springfield High School in 1946; he met his future wife, Mary | 10 | | Traylor Schnirring, in the third grade while attending | 11 | | Hay-Edwards Elementary School; they were married on September | 12 | | 30, 1950; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, Bill Schnirring attended the University of | 14 | | Illinois and graduated with a bachelor's degree in business in | 15 | | 1950; he was a member and president of the Alpha Tau Omega | 16 | | Fraternity; following his graduation, he served as a first | 17 | | lieutenant in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict | 18 | | from 1951 to 1952 and was stationed in Thule, Greenland; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, Bill Schnirring was Chairman Emeritus of | 20 | | Springfield Electric Supply Company; his formal career there | 21 | | began in 1952 when he joined the family-owned business, which | 22 | | was started by his father, William Robert Schnirring; working |
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| 1 | | beside his father was one of the highlights of his career; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Bill Schnirring served the electrical | 3 | | distribution industry in several key roles over the years, | 4 | | culminating with a term as chairman of the National Association | 5 | | of Electrical Distributors in 1979-1980; he was later | 6 | | recognized as one of the recipients of the industry's highest | 7 | | national individual honors, the Arthur W. Hooper Award; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Bill Schnirring's love for his community led to | 9 | | his efforts to improve life in Springfield; he was recognized | 10 | | nationally in 1989 as an outstanding volunteer fundraiser and | 11 | | again in 1994 as Outstanding Philanthropist by the National | 12 | | Society of Fundraising Executives; in 1998, he was honored with | 13 | | the Sertoma Service to Mankind Award; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Bill Schnirring was active on many boards and | 15 | | committees over the years; his past business and industry work | 16 | | included service on the boards of First National Bank (U.S. | 17 | | Bank) and Springfield Credit Bureau and serving as board | 18 | | chairman of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, the | 19 | | Industrial Development Council of Springfield and Sangamon | 20 | | County, the Memorial Medical Center Foundation, and the | 21 | | Memorial Medical Center Board; he served on the Illinois State | 22 | | Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and helped craft | 23 | | recommendations for legislative and administrative action as a |
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| 1 | | participant in a White House Small Business Conference; and | 2 | | WHEREAS, Bill Schnirring served many civic, service, and | 3 | | educational organizations; he served as a trustee of Blackburn | 4 | | College, director of the American Business Club, a board member | 5 | | and campaign chairman of the United Way of Central Illinois, a | 6 | | board member and capitol campaign chairman for Contact | 7 | | Ministries, a board member of the Vachel Lindsay Home | 8 | | Association, a member of the Dean's Business Advisory Council | 9 | | at the University of Illinois at Champaign, and a member of the | 10 | | Chancellor's Advisory Council at the University of | 11 | | Illinois-Springfield; he helped to foster the development and | 12 | | growth of small businesses in central Illinois by serving as a | 13 | | counselor for the Springfield chapter of SCORE; he was also a | 14 | | member of the Springfield Parks Foundation, the Springfield Art | 15 | | Association, Illini Country Club, and the Sangamo Club; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Bill Schnirring was an elder at Westminster | 17 | | Presbyterian Church; he was also a member of the Scottish Rite, | 18 | | the Red Cross of Constantine, the Royal Order of the Jesters, | 19 | | and a past Potentate of the Ansar Shrine; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, Bill Schnirring received a number of honors, | 21 | | including the Copley Press First Citizen of Springfield Award | 22 | | in 1989 and the Lincoln Academy of Illinois Order of Lincoln in | 23 | | 2012, the State's highest award; he was inducted into the |
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| 1 | | Springfield High School Hall of Fame in 2013, and the | 2 | | auditorium at Springfield High School is named in honor of Bill | 3 | | Schnirring and his wife, Mary Schnirring, for their support of | 4 | | the school throughout the years; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Bill Schnirring had a wonderful sense of humor and | 6 | | loved being around people; he was personable and gracious to | 7 | | all he met and was a natural leader and mentor to many | 8 | | throughout his life; he always looked for ways to help others | 9 | | and touched many lives with his generous spirit; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, Bill Schnirring enjoyed traveling and spending | 11 | | winters in Naples, Florida with his wife, Mary; he especially | 12 | | loved time spent on the Schnirring Farm where he would garden, | 13 | | host parties, and ride his John Deere gator; he was an avid fan | 14 | | of the University of Illinois and Springfield High School; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, Bill Schnirring was preceded in death by his | 16 | | parents, William Robert and Marion Vernor Schnirring, and his | 17 | | beloved wife, Mary Schnirring, who preceded him in death on | 18 | | January 12, 2020; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, Bill Schnirring is survived by his two daughters, | 20 | | Kathy (Randy) Germeraad and Carolyn (Dan) Dungan; four | 21 | | grandchildren, Scott (Colleen) Germeraad, Carrie (Nick) | 22 | | Walden, Caitlin (Mark) Simhauser, and Colin Dungan; his five |
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| 1 | | great-grandchildren, Declan Germeraad, Merrin Germeraad, | 2 | | Verity Germeraad, Isla Germeraad, and Nora Simhauser; his | 3 | | sister, Marilyn Kennedy; his nephews, Robert and John Kennedy; | 4 | | his niece, Janice Kennedy Singer; his friend, Don Martin; and | 5 | | all of his colleagues at Springfield Electric; therefore, be it | 6 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 7 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
| 8 | | William "Bill" Richard Schnirring and extend our sincere
| 9 | | condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
| 10 | | him; and be it further
| 11 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
| 12 | | presented to the family of Bill Schnirring as an expression of
| 13 | | our deepest sympathy.
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