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90_SJ0010
LRB9003213CBcb
1 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly
3 were saddened to learn of the passing of State Senator Harry
4 "Babe" Woodyard on January 31, 1997; and
5 WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard was sworn into the Illinois
6 Senate in February, 1986; and
7 WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard had served for four terms in
8 the Illinois House of Representatives prior to his
9 appointment to the Illinois Senate; and
10 WHEREAS, For eighteen years, Senator Woodyard was a
11 humble and willing public servant for the people of East
12 Central Illinois; and
13 WHEREAS, A legislative visionary with a keen sense of
14 fairness, Senator Woodyard recognized the need for reducing
15 the reliance on property taxes to fund education and proposed
16 cutting property taxes in exchange for a slight increase in
17 income taxes long before the idea became a staple of
18 education funding reform discussions; and
19 WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard was a leading voice for
20 agriculture in Illinois and aggressively promoted the export
21 of Illinois farm products; and
22 WHEREAS, One of only three production farmers in the
23 Illinois Senate, Senator Woodyard encouraged the use of
24 ethanol and spearheaded the movement to make the Illinois
25 State Fair self-supporting, touting the Fair's rich heritage
26 and its appeal as one of the best state fairs in the country;
27 and
28 WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard's pride in Illinois agriculture
29 heritage and diversity was reflected in his chairmanship of
30 the Senate Agriculture and Conservation Committee and in his
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1 successful efforts to bring quarter horse racing to the
2 Illinois State Fair; and
3 WHEREAS, A wise steward of the land, Senator Woodyard was
4 a strong voice in reaching a balance between protecting the
5 State's natural resources and providing recreational
6 opportunities for boaters, hunters, and other sports
7 enthusiasts throughout the State; and
8 WHEREAS, The Senator was instrumental in developing the
9 State's Conservation 2000 program, a long-term development
10 plan to strike the necessary balance between preservation and
11 recreation; and
12 WHEREAS, Harry "Babe" Woodyard was co-founder of the
13 Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus and had served as its
14 co-chairman; and
15 WHEREAS, A soft-spoken man known for his abundant
16 generosity, Senator Woodyard developed an exchange program
17 between downstate legislators and Chicago legislators and
18 their constituents titled "Illinois Neighbors", giving
19 lawmakers the opportunity to better understand the needs of
20 different regions of the State; and
21 WHEREAS, Babe Woodyard's dedication to improving people's
22 lives knew no geographic boundaries; and
23 WHEREAS, He developed a rapport with local public
24 officials in China, looking for a means to improve their
25 quality of life, and took several trade missions to the
26 country to help develop strong business and governmental
27 relationships between Americans and local Chinese; and
28 WHEREAS, Closer to home, Senator Woodyard was active in
29 pursuing affordable, accessible health care for the people of
30 rural Downstate Illinois; and
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1 WHEREAS, A loving, dedicated father of two and
2 grandfather of four, Senator Woodyard strongly believed in
3 providing quality education for schoolchildren throughout
4 Illinois so each of them would be prepared for whatever the
5 future held; and
6 WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard instinctively understood the
7 importance of a strong economy to the day-to-day lives of
8 people; he pursued initiatives designed to spur job growth
9 both in his own district and throughout the State; and
10 WHEREAS, A U.S. Army veteran, Senator Woodyard played a
11 key role in establishing the Illinois Korean War Memorial to
12 honor veterans of what many people call the "forgotten war";
13 and
14 WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard had a keen interest in
15 expanding viable means of transportation throughout the
16 Midwest and to that end was an active member of the
17 Interstate Rail Passenger Advisory Council; and
18 WHEREAS, Harry "Babe" Woodyard offered his expertise and
19 insight throughout the years by membership on the Senate
20 Revenue Committee, the Senate Appropriations Committee, the
21 Senate Executive Appointments Committee, and the Senate Local
22 Government Committee; and
23 WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard was an active member of his
24 community and received many accolades from various local and
25 State organizations throughout the years for his dedication
26 and service on behalf of the people of Illinois; and
27 WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard was born December 3, 1930, in
28 Danville, Illinois, graduated from Ridge Farm High School,
29 and attended Illinois Wesleyan University; and
30 WHEREAS, Many legislators have fond memories of Babe, ham
31 and bean equipment in tow, pulling into town for a
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1 fundraiser; and
2 WHEREAS, Never one to judge a person by their status in
3 life or their political party, Senator Woodyard counted among
4 his friends and allies people of all political persuasions
5 and walks of life; and
6 WHEREAS, Whether it be a bouquet of flowers to a staffer
7 for a job well done, the produce of his garden, or bread
8 lovingly baked by his own hands, Babe's generosity was
9 legendary; and
10 WHEREAS, His quick wit, ever-present smile, and mild
11 manner endeared Senator Woodyard to the people he represented
12 and the legislators, staffers, lobbyists, and State and local
13 officials with whom he worked; and
14 WHEREAS, Babe Woodyard never forgot where he came from or
15 the people who instilled their faith and confidence in him;
16 therefore, be it
17 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
18 OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
19 CONCURRING HEREIN, that we do hereby offer our condolences
20 and sincere expressions of sympathy to the family of Harry
21 "Babe" Woodyard on his passing; and be it further
22 RESOLVED, That we celebrate the life of Babe and count
23 among our blessings the opportunity to have known and worked
24 with him; and be it further
25 RESOLVED, That we hold our memories of Babe Woodyard
26 close to our hearts and minds as we reflect upon his life;
27 and be it further
28 RESOLVED, That we lift up Harry "Babe" Woodyard as the
29 epitome of a dedicated public servant; and be it further
30 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
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1 presented to Babe's wife, Mary D; their children, Leslie and
2 Kirk; and grandchildren, Corrine, Kendell, Rachel, and
3 Nicholas.