Full Text of SR0076 096th General Assembly
SR0076 96TH 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 Louise Ray of Joliet, who passed away on | 4 |
| January 31, 2009; and
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| WHEREAS, Louise Ray was born on July 9, 1942 in Natchez, | 6 |
| Mississippi; she married Junior Ray in 1962 in Chicago and the | 7 |
| couple moved to Joliet in 1971; together, they had five | 8 |
| children, Roy, Johnny, Willie, Junior II, and Tony; and
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| WHEREAS, Louise Ray had a long and distinguished career in | 10 |
| education; she began her career in Joliet in the 1970s, serving | 11 |
| at Forest Park and Taft Schools, as well as Joliet West and | 12 |
| Central High Schools; and | 13 |
| WHEREAS, On December 6, 1987, Louise Ray lost one of her | 14 |
| five sons to street violence in Joliet; within two weeks, she | 15 |
| said that, as a Christian, she already had forgiven the person | 16 |
| who killed her son; during that time, she formed a group called | 17 |
| Mothers Against Gangs and resolved to walk, on a weekly basis, | 18 |
| the five blocks that her son was chased by a group of attackers | 19 |
| before he was shot; despite harassment from gang members who | 20 |
| rode bicycles or circled around slowly in cars, flashing gang | 21 |
| signs, she resolved to continue the walk until justice was done | 22 |
| and encouraged other mothers to join her in a nonviolent |
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| protest against street gangs; and
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| WHEREAS, The momentum from Louise Ray's courageous | 3 |
| actions, as well as her ceaseless energy, led to what is now | 4 |
| known as the Forest Park Community Center, a familiar and | 5 |
| respected Joliet institution; the Forest Park Community | 6 |
| Center, which she founded and led until the day of her death, | 7 |
| was opened on November 7, 1994 and still is going strong today; | 8 |
| the center has matured into a multifaceted agency, providing a | 9 |
| variety of programs for youth and people of all ages; from 2004 | 10 |
| to 2006, the community center was an accredited school, working | 11 |
| in tandem with Joliet Junior College and Joliet Township High | 12 |
| School to help students earn credits that they needed to get a | 13 |
| high school diploma; and
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| WHEREAS, In 1991, Louise Ray oversaw the opening of the | 15 |
| Joliet Community Midnight Basketball Program, which she helped | 16 |
| form; the program gave young men ages 18 to 26 the opportunity | 17 |
| to participate in constructive activities; she also helped form | 18 |
| the Forest Park Youth Builders, where young adults were | 19 |
| required to attend school and learn a trade; and
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| WHEREAS, Louise Ray will be remembered by all who knew and | 21 |
| loved her as a woman whose tough love and determination helped | 22 |
| countless children become educated and productive members of | 23 |
| society; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL | 2 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with | 3 |
| her family and friends, the death of Louise Ray; and be it | 4 |
| further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 6 |
| presented to the family of Louise Ray as an expression of our | 7 |
| sympathy.
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