Full Text of SR1535 101st General Assembly
SR1535 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 Reverend Wesley Harold Wilkie, who passed | 4 | | away on January 25, 2020 at the age of 81; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Wilkie was born in Saginaw, Michigan to | 6 | | Harold and Irene (Rutkowsky) Wilkie on May 3, 1938; he | 7 | | graduated from the original Detroit Lutheran High School in | 8 | | 1955; he earned his bachelor's degree from Valparaiso | 9 | | University, where he studied theology; he obtained his Master | 10 | | of Divinity from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis; he married | 11 | | Luann Stein in 1962, and she preceded him in death in 1994; | 12 | | together, they had two daughters, Diana and Lauren; he was | 13 | | ordained in 1964; he earned his Ph.D. from the University of | 14 | | Chicago in 1971; he married Dorothy Fischer in 1996; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Wilkie joined the Theology Department of | 16 | | Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, now known as | 17 | | Concordia University Chicago; he served as acting president and | 18 | | academic dean at Concordia College Selma in Selma, Alabama in | 19 | | 1968; he returned to Concordia Teachers College and served as | 20 | | the dean of chapel from 1971 to 1974; he became a visiting | 21 | | instructor at Oak Hill Theological College in London, England | 22 | | from 1980 to 1981; he later served as a philosophy teacher at | 23 | | Concordia University Chicago, where he was eventually |
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| 1 | | appointed an associate professor of theology in 1990; he | 2 | | followed his passion for teaching church history and world | 3 | | religions by leading various student trips to countries around | 4 | | the world, including Jordan, Israel, Hong Kong, China, and | 5 | | England; he retired from full-time teaching in 2003; his | 6 | | scholarly interests included exploring Easter Vigils in the | 7 | | Orthodox traditions and membership in the North American | 8 | | Academy of Ecumenists; he regularly attended the National | 9 | | Workshop on Church Unity; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Wilkie was a member of Grace Lutheran Church | 11 | | and regularly attended the Bach Cantata Vespers services; | 12 | | alongside his wife Dorothy, he enjoyed fishing and traveling in | 13 | | the United States and throughout the world; he was an avid | 14 | | outdoorsman; he completed two marathons and was a frequent deer | 15 | | hunter; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Wilkie will be remembered for his passion for | 17 | | educating and the impact he left on his students; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Wilkie was preceded in death by his parents; | 19 | | his wife, Luann (Stein) Wilkie; his brother, Richard Wilkie; | 20 | | and his granddaughter, Erin Wilkie; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Wilkie is survived by his wife, Dorothy | 22 | | Wilkie; his children, Diana (Rick) Buffie, Lauren Wilkie (John |
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| 1 | | Elser), John Fischer (Cathy Ryan), and Kathy (Jeff) Spies; his | 2 | | grandchildren, Jennifer, Brian (Sara), Karin, Kirsten, Jai, | 3 | | and Nina; and his great-grandchildren, Ethan and Kallie; | 4 | | therefore, be it
| 5 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 6 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 7 | | Reverend Wesley Harold Wilkie and extend our sincere | 8 | | condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved | 9 | | him; and be it further
| 10 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 11 | | presented to the family of Rev. Wilkie as an expression of our | 12 | | deepest sympathy.
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