Full Text of SR0859 096th General Assembly
SR0859 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 Merritt L. Hicks Jr. of Chicago, who | 4 |
| pased away on April 29, 2010; and
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| WHEREAS, Merritt Hicks Jr. was born on June 24, 1922 in New | 6 |
| Orleans, Louisiana, to the union of Merritt L. Hicks Sr. and | 7 |
| Mabel Washington;
Mr. Hicks met the love of his life at | 8 |
| Anderson High School in Austin, Texas; a few years later, they | 9 |
| reconnected at a barn yard dance, and on April 17, 1944, | 10 |
| Merritt and Bobbie Hicks were united in marriage; and
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| WHEREAS, For the next 66 years of marriage, Merritt and | 12 |
| Bobbie raised their family in Chicago;
Mr. Hicks was also known | 13 |
| as Mr. Geechie Hicks; shortly after graduation from high | 14 |
| school, Mr. Hicks joined the United States Navy and played in | 15 |
| the band until he was given an Honorary Discharge; during World | 16 |
| War II, he returned to Austin, Texas after being drafted by the | 17 |
| U.S. Army Air Force Band; Mr. Hicks was honorably discharged | 18 |
| from the military in August of 1945; and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. Hicks later developed his own local band, | 20 |
| "Geechie Hicks and the Czars Band";
although his specialty was | 21 |
| classical jazz, his band traveled around the Chicagoland area | 22 |
| performing at various venues including; Italian and Jewish |
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| weddings, bar mitzvahs, and other special events playing polka, | 2 |
| blues, and jazz; and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. Hicks wore his Stetson hats and developed his | 4 |
| own 7 beat style; he played for Lionel Hampton, Louis | 5 |
| Armstrong, BB King, and many more; he tap danced for Cab | 6 |
| Calloway, Duke Ellington, and various other artists; and | 7 |
| WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his parents; two | 8 |
| sisters, Dorothy Eustace and Helen Childress; and one | 9 |
| grandchild, Derrick; and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. Merritt Hicks Jr. is survived by his loving | 11 |
| and devoted wife of 66 years, Mrs. Bobbie Hicks; his children, | 12 |
| Merritt L. Hicks III (Veronica), Jacqueline, and Gwendolyn | 13 |
| Hicks; his sisters, Audrey Villavaso and Aramenta Johnson; his | 14 |
| six grandchildren, David, Darryl, Darren, Alain, Russell, and | 15 |
| Natoya; his eight great-grandchildren; his three | 16 |
| great-great-grandchildren; and his many nieces, nephews, | 17 |
| relatives, and friends; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL | 19 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with | 20 |
| his family and friends, the passing of Merritt Hicks Jr.; and | 21 |
| be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 2 |
| presented to the family of Merritt Hicks Jr. as a symbol of our | 3 |
| sincere sympathy.
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