HR0095 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0095 LRB102 16350 ECR 21737 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Charlene Louise Willis, who passed away on September 16, 2020; and

WHEREAS, Charlene Willis was born to Ethel Louise and Mack Charles Moore; she graduated from East St. Louis Senior High School in 1963 and married Curtis Galloway Jr. the following year; she later married Pressgo Willis; and

WHEREAS, Charlene Willis worked for the United States Civil Service Commission in the Office of Personnel Management from 1969 until 1994; as a Black woman, she faced racism and discrimination throughout her career; after three years of retirement, she returned to the workforce as an employee of the private consulting firm Alsip, Incorporated; in 2000, she worked for the United States Census Bureau as a field operations supervisor for the 2000 census; in 2001, she began working as an adjudicator for the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), where she was soon promoted to the role of supervisor; she was promoted again to the role of manager of the IDES East Saint Louis office; and

WHEREAS, Charlene Willis attended Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church in her formative years and joined the Junior and Intermediate choirs and served on the program committee; after a ten year absence, she returned to Rising Star; and

WHEREAS, Charlene Willis was a mentor and a story teller; she was beautiful and smart and loved to read; she was a deeply spiritual person; and

WHEREAS, Charlene Willis was preceded in death by her parents, Ethel Louise and Mack Charles Moore; her husband, Pressgo Willis; her two brothers, Raymon Lee Moore and Bernard Charles Moore; and her sister, Brenda Kaye Moore; and

WHEREAS, Charlene Willis is survived by her son, Curtis Darryl; her daughter, Pamela Charlene; her grandchildren, Anthony Charles, Angela, Angelita, Shayla, Amber, Pamela (Muffin), Curtis Jr., and Tayanna; her 12 great- grandchildren; her sisters, Ethel Marie Samuel and Bernice Moore Crues; her nieces, Kimberly Marie Samuel and Chandra and Charice Moore; and her nephews, Michael (Valencia), Kelvin (Sabrina), and Darrin Curtis Samuel; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Charlene Louise Willis and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Charlene Willis as an expression of our deepest sympathy.