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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Rev. Dr. Mary Climons Lacey of Waukegan,
4who passed away on February 13, 2019; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Mary Lacey grew up in Mississippi with nine
6siblings; she and her family formed the Cradle Roll Singers and
7toured the country performing gospel songs; she recorded her
8first song, If I Can Help Somebody, on the Hummingbird label
9when she was 19; she recorded numerous other songs and was
10written about in Ebony and Jet magazines; she held an annual
11concert at Shiloh Baptist Church, which First Lady Betty Ford
12attended in 1976; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Mary Lacey was a social activist and marched
14alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Mary Lacey married William, and they settled in
16Waukegan, where she worked at the Great Lakes Naval Station;
17and
 
18    WHEREAS, Mary Lacey was ordained as a pastor, and, in 1997,
19earned a Doctorate of Humanity from Trinity Seminary in Denver;
20she earned a certificate in social work and was a foster
21parent; she estimated that she had helped raise about 5,000

 

 

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1children over 32 years; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Mary Lacey founded Mary's Mission, a homeless
3shelter, in Waukegan in 1987; she started volunteering at the
4Lake County jail in 2002, where she would give motivational
5talks and pray with the inmates; she held an annual Christmas
6parade from her mission to the jail, where she and volunteers
7would pass out toys to the children of inmates, while also
8providing hams or turkeys to the families to enjoy at their
9holiday meals; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Mary Lacey was also a hat designer and beautician
11and made elegant hats for "church ladies", though she is best
12known as a spiritual person who spent her life helping others;
13and
 
14    WHEREAS, Mary Lacey was preceded in death by her husband,
15William; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Mary Lacey is survived by her son, William Jr.,
17and her grandchildren; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
19ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
20Rev. Dr. Mary Climons Lacey and extend our sincere condolences
21to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be

 

 

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1it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
3presented to the family of Mary Lacey as an expression of our
4deepest sympathy.