Full Text of HR0627 95th General Assembly
HR0627 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 |
| Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of former | 4 |
| State Representative John "Jay" C. Ackerman of Morton, who | 5 |
| passed away on July 23, 2007; and
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| WHEREAS, Jay Ackerman served in the Illinois House of | 7 |
| Representatives from 1979 to 1983 and from 1987 to 1999; during | 8 |
| his time in the Capitol he worked with the Legislative | 9 |
| Sportsmen's Caucus and helped to establish a State fish and | 10 |
| wildlife area in Cass County; he helped bring reform to the | 11 |
| Chicago school system, aided in welfare reform, supported the | 12 |
| State's truth-in-sentencing law, voted for measures to help | 13 |
| senior citizens, promoted agriculture and the preservation of | 14 |
| the family farm; and chaired the House Public Utilities | 15 |
| Committee; and | 16 |
| WHEREAS, Jay Ackerman was one of the few active farmers to | 17 |
| serve in the General Assembly during his tenure; he was a | 18 |
| strong supporter of the Second Amendment; he was known as | 19 |
| someone who cared more about his constituents and representing | 20 |
| the people of his district than being a politician; he was | 21 |
| well-liked by all his colleagues and enjoyed socializing; he | 22 |
| enjoyed singing "Crazy" and other songs by his favorite artist, | 23 |
| Patsy Cline; and
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| WHEREAS, Jay Ackerman was an avid hunter and fisherman; he, | 2 |
| his son, and his sons-in-law were the Winning Boat and Anglers | 3 |
| at the July 19, 2007 Department of Natural Resources sponsored | 4 |
| Sam Romano Lake Michigan Fishing Tournament in Winthrop Harbor; | 5 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, Jay Ackerman was an accomplished softball player, | 7 |
| known for playing in fast-pitch leagues across central Illinois | 8 |
| for 40 years; he began by pitching against the barn door during | 9 |
| his 4-H league days; he held the record for striking out 18 of | 10 |
| 21 batters in 7 innings; he matched Eddie Feigner, the King and | 11 |
| his Court, in a 4-to-4 tie game, with local media reporting | 12 |
| that his pitches were jumping more than the King's; and
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| WHEREAS, Jay Ackerman started in politics due to his | 14 |
| dissatisfaction with the limited opportunities young people | 15 |
| had to play softball in his hometown; he ran for a seat on the | 16 |
| Morton Park District Board and served from 1967 to 1975; he was | 17 |
| influential in building the first ball diamonds at Lions Field | 18 |
| in Morton; he later served on the Tazewell County board from | 19 |
| 1972 to 1978; and | 20 |
| WHEREAS, Jay Ackerman was a United States Army veteran, | 21 |
| serving two years as a medical technician; he was born on and |
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| farmed the Ackerman Centennial Farm in Morton; he attended | 2 |
| Crandall School, a one-room school house located on the farm; | 3 |
| he graduated from Morton High School where he lettered in | 4 |
| football and track; and he attended agriculture classes at the | 5 |
| University of Illinois; and | 6 |
| WHEREAS, Jay Ackerman was a wonderful husband, father, | 7 |
| grandfather, and brother; his passing will be deeply felt by | 8 |
| all those who knew and loved him, especially his wife, Joann; | 9 |
| his son, Doug (Christine); his daughters, Jody (Mark) | 10 |
| Bugaieski, Amy (John) Lacy, and Wendy (Mike) Fox; his sister, | 11 |
| Sally Walker; his grandchildren, Rick and Jed Lacy, Kiley and | 12 |
| Brock Bugaieski, and Morgan and Hallie Fox; his six nephews; | 13 |
| and his many friends, colleagues, former constituents and | 14 |
| neighbors; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 16 |
| NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 17 |
| mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of former | 18 |
| State Representative John C. "Jay" Ackerman; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 20 |
| presented to the family of former State Representative John C. | 21 |
| "Jay" Ackerman as a symbol of our sympathy.
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