Full Text of SR0191 102nd General Assembly
SR0191 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 Rev. Thomas G. Henry Sr., who passed | 4 | | away on March 9, 2021; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Thomas Henry Sr. was born in West Point, | 6 | | Mississippi to Daniel W. and Sally L. Henry on September 11, | 7 | | 1936; he attended West Point schools; after relocating to | 8 | | Chicago, he attended Crane High School, where he played | 9 | | baseball and football; he married Lucille Archibald, and they | 10 | | had five children; he graduated from Wells Evening School; he | 11 | | earned his Associate in Social Science from Olive Harvey | 12 | | College; he attended McKinley Theological Seminary, Bishop | 13 | | College Institute, and Roosevelt University; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Thomas Henry Sr. committed to his faith | 15 | | around the age of 14; he was called to the ministry in 1959; he | 16 | | preached his trial sermon at Friendship Baptist Church under | 17 | | the tutelage of the late Pastor Sheldon Hall; he was appointed | 18 | | junior church pastor of the Mozart/First Baptist | 19 | | Congregational Church in 1967, where he served and ministered | 20 | | to children for several years; he later became the assistant | 21 | | pastor under the late Rev. Dr. Arthur Griffin; he became the | 22 | | founding pastor of Austin Baptist United Church of Christ in | 23 | | 1973, where he served as a dedicated pastor for 47 years until |
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| 1 | | the time of his passing; he was a great leader to his flock, | 2 | | and he mentored and helped many people in the community; he had | 3 | | a vast knowledge of scripture and was known as a bible teaching | 4 | | preacher; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Thomas Henry Sr. was a firm believer in | 6 | | higher learning; during his 50 years of service, he started | 7 | | many programs to enhance the lives of young people in the | 8 | | Austin community; he founded the Austin Christian School and | 9 | | served as executive director of the Austin Baptist UCC Day | 10 | | Care & Head Start Program; he provided summer jobs, day camp, | 11 | | and food pantries; he also served as a truant officer for | 12 | | Chicago Public Schools, as director of the youth program for | 13 | | the Chicago Archdiocese, and as a prison chaplain for the Cook | 14 | | County Sheriff's Department; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Thomas Henry Sr. was known for his sense of | 16 | | humor and his smile that always started in his eyes; he had a | 17 | | beautiful tenor voice, loved music and singing, and had been a | 18 | | member of the Thompson Community Singers; he was an avid | 19 | | reader; he enjoyed watching the news, traveling, and sports, | 20 | | especially baseball; he will be remembered as a kind, generous | 21 | | man who dedicated his life to serving others; and
| 22 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Thomas Henry Sr. was preceded in death by | 23 | | his parents; his sisters, Willie McLaurin and Rosa Lavine; and |
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| 1 | | his brothers, Charles Henry, Booker T. Henry, and John Henry; | 2 | | and
| 3 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Thomas Henry Sr. is survived by his brother, | 4 | | Daniel Henry (Lois); his sisters, Mary Sykes and Madelyn | 5 | | Williams; his sister-in-law, Bobbi Henry; his children, Thomas | 6 | | G. Henry Jr., Patrice McClellan, LaShaun Crump (Todd), Michael | 7 | | Henry (Veranda), Bridget Henry, and Jelisa Matthews; his | 8 | | grandchildren, Demetrius Haywood, Byron Turner (Aiesha), Omari | 9 | | McClellan (Charlotte), Shani Douglas (Danyale), Zachary Henry, | 10 | | Blake Henry (Celeste), Zoie Henry, Drew Henry, and Jaliah | 11 | | Matthews; 14 great-grandchildren; other children he considered | 12 | | and raised as his own; his best friend, Ernesto Scott and his | 13 | | extended family; the members of Austin Baptist United Church | 14 | | of Christ; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and | 15 | | friends; therefore, be it
| 16 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL | 17 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 18 | | Rev. Thomas G. Henry Sr. and extend our sincere condolences to | 19 | | his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | 20 | | further
| 21 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 22 | | presented to the family of Rev. Thomas Henry Sr. as an | 23 | | expression of our deepest sympathy.
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