Full Text of SR0644 95th General Assembly
SR0644 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 |
| learn of the death of
Leon Finney Sr. of Chicago, who passed | 4 |
| away on April 4, 2008; and
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| WHEREAS, Leon Finney Sr. was born in 1916 in Mississippi; | 6 |
| he was the son of successful funeral home operator T.J. | 7 |
| Huddleston; he moved to Chicago, where his aunt, Bertha Brody, | 8 |
| lived; and
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| WHEREAS, Leon Finney Sr. was the founder and owner of the | 10 |
| Leon's Bar-B-Q chain; he founded the business in 1942, after | 11 |
| the police broke up a bookie joint in the basement of a | 12 |
| barbecue shop on East Garfield Boulevard in Chicago; after the | 13 |
| raid, the owner offered to sell the barbecue restaurant for | 14 |
| $700, the price of the refrigerator; after his father wired him | 15 |
| the money, he opened Leon's Bar-B-Q, which has since become a | 16 |
| staple of Chicago's culinary history and is particularly known | 17 |
| for its tangy and sweet barbeque sauce; and
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| WHEREAS, Leon Finney Sr. was active in running his popular | 19 |
| chain of restaurants until his health began to decline; and
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| WHEREAS, Leon Finney Sr. was an active advocate of | 21 |
| African-American business and community organizations, helping |
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| numerous African-Americans create many businesses in the City | 2 |
| of Chicago and beyond; and
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| WHEREAS, Leon Finney Sr. is survived by his six children, | 4 |
| Rev. Leon Finney Jr., Gwendlyn Woods, Michael, Michelle, Andre, | 5 |
| and Zenobia Rene; and his nine grandchildren; and | 6 |
| WHEREAS, Leon Finney Sr. will be remembered by all who knew | 7 |
| and loved him for his dedication to his profession and his | 8 |
| willingness to help his fellow entrepreneurs; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | 10 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with | 11 |
| his family and friends, the passing of Leon Finney Sr.; and be | 12 |
| it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 14 |
| presented to the family of Leon Finney Sr. as an expression of | 15 |
| our sympathy.
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