Full Text of HR0469 98th General Assembly
HR0469 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, Harold Vonachen was born on August 31, 1925, in | 6 | | Peoria, to Dr. Harold A. and
Bernice (Verner) Vonachen; he | 7 | | served in the U.S. Navy during World War II; he returned home | 8 | | and
attended Bradley University, graduating in 1949; and he | 9 | | married Donna J. Hurst on May 11, 1957, in Peoria; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, In 1955, Harold Vonachen opened Vonachen's | 11 | | Junction restaurant, whose iconic railroad cars,
great food, | 12 | | and owner's larger-than-life personality drew patrons from | 13 | | throughout the State;
he sold the restaurant in 1970 and became | 14 | | president of Peoria Blacktop, Inc.; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, Harold Vonachen rescued professional baseball in | 16 | | Peoria when he purchased the Peoria Suns in
1983; his | 17 | | commitment to family entertainment led to many highly | 18 | | successful Peoria Chiefs
teams, alternating with Cardinals' | 19 | | and Cubs' affiliations; past and future Hall of Fame players
| 20 | | have played in now, Dozer Park, one of the nation's finest | 21 | | Class A stadiums; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Over his lifetime Harold Vonachen served as | 2 | | commodore for the Illinois Valley Yacht and Canoe
Club, | 3 | | president of the Peoria Pacers College Baseball Team, director | 4 | | of the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of
Fame, director of the | 5 | | Peoria Cerebral Palsy Board, and member of the St. Thomas | 6 | | Parochial School Board; he was president
of the advisory board | 7 | | for OSF St. Francis Medical Center, vice-president and a | 8 | | trustee for the Peoria Park
District, chairman of the City of | 9 | | Peoria Liquor Commission, a member of the Bradley University | 10 | | Chiefs Club,
president of Peoria Mobile Medic Ambulance Co., | 11 | | and a member of the board of trustees for Bradley University;
| 12 | | he also served as chairman for the Salvation Army Tree of | 13 | | Lights and as honorary chairman of the Children's Miracle | 14 | | Network
Telethon at the Children's Hospital of Illinois; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, Harold Vonachen was awarded the Neve Harms | 16 | | Meritorious Service Sports Award in 1979, the Bradley | 17 | | University Distinguished Alumni Award in
1985, the Sporting | 18 | | News Professional Baseball Class A Minor League Executive of | 19 | | the Year in
1985, the Tri-County Sports Figure of the Year in | 20 | | 1985, the Bradley University Centurion in 1986, the
University | 21 | | of Notre Dame Man of the Year in 1988, the
Caterpillar | 22 | | Community Service Award, the Salvation Army Other Award in | 23 | | 1991, the Lewis Burger
Outstanding Volunteer Fundraising Award | 24 | | in 1992, the National Society of Fundraising Executives
| 25 | | Philanthropy Award in 1992, the Robert H. Michel
Lifetime |
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| 1 | | Achievement Award in 2002, the Ambassador of Baseball-State of | 2 | | Illinois Chicago Pitch
and Hit Club Award in 2005, and the | 3 | | Lions Club Outstanding Achievement Award for JJ Anderson
| 4 | | Basketball Camp in 2009; he was inducted into the Greater | 5 | | Peoria Sports Wall of Fame in 1979, the Greater Peoria Sports | 6 | | Hall of Fame 1988, and the Bradley University Sports Hall of | 7 | | Fame in 1994; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Harold Vonachen met his best friend, Harry Caray, | 9 | | while managing concessions at Bradley
University Fieldhouse in | 10 | | 1950; the Hall of Fame broadcaster would routinely call out to | 11 | | "my
good friend, Pete Vonachen, in Peoria" during Cubs games; | 12 | | his 1998 eulogy for Harry was
celebrated nationally for its | 13 | | humor and its humanity; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Harold Vonachen was cherished far and wide for his | 15 | | extraordinary sense of humor, friendships
with those he | 16 | | encountered from all walks of life, and his love for baseball; | 17 | | and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, Harold Vonachen was preceded in death by his wife, | 19 | | Donna; his parents; his
brothers, Jack and Tom; and his | 20 | | sisters, Mary Ann, Bobbie, and Marta; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, Harold Vonachen is survived by his daughter, Mary | 22 | | "Mikie" Shadid; his sons, Rocky, Greg (Kathy), Dan
(Jennifer), |
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| 1 | | and Mark (Amy); his sister, Susie (Jim) Dawson; his
| 2 | | grandchildren, Megan Vonachen, Lauren Shadid, Abby Vonachen, | 3 | | Erica Vonachen, Claire
Vonachen, Michelle Vonachen, Druschel | 4 | | Vonachen, Jabe Vonachen, Natalie Vonachen, and Jac
Vonachen; | 5 | | therefore, be it
| 6 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 7 | | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 8 | | we mourn the passing of Harold Vonachen 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 Harold Vonachen
as an expression of | 13 | | our deepest sympathy.
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