HR0946 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0946 LRB095 18789 KXB 44915 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of former Chicago mayor Eugene Sawyer, who passed away on January 19, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Eugene Sawyer was known for his calm manner and ability to forge compromise; he rose to prominence in the days following Chicago Mayor Harold Washington's death in November of 1987; after a bitter, racially charged debate, a split council voted to name him as Mayor Washington's replacement; he served as mayor until 1989, when he lost in the Democratic primary to current Mayor Richard M. Daley; and

WHEREAS, He was born in Greensboro, Alabama; after moving from Alabama to Chicago in 1957 with a degree in chemistry from Alabama State University, he was hired as an industrial waste coordinator for the Chicago Sewer Department; and in 1971 he was elected 6th Ward alderman; and

WHEREAS, Eugene Sawyer was soft-spoken and quiet; even after he became mayor, he often held breakfast meetings at a South Side restaurant called Ms. Biscuit; during his brief tenure, Mayor Sawyer pushed through several initiatives that Mayor Washington had started or supported, including a human-rights ordinance that had languished in the council for years before it was approved in 1988; and

WHEREAS, After leaving office, he became an officer of an energy company; he later switched the firm's focus to wholesale tobacco deals; while he stayed in touch with politics, he spent much of his time following sports and fancied himself a talented poker player; he was also a devout member of his church and a devoted family man; and

WHEREAS, Eugene Sawyer is survived by his wife, Veronica; his children, Roderick, Shedrick, and Sheryl McGill; his brothers Ernest and Charles; his sister Shirley; and his four grandchildren; he was preceded in death by his sister, Melnee; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of former Chicago mayor Eugene Sawyer; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Eugene Sawyer as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.