SR1138 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1138 LRB103 41938 LAW 75160 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Fernando Reynard Shipley, who passed away on August 3, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Fernando Shipley was born in Florence, Alabama on August 2, 1953; he resided in Tuscumbia, Alabama until the age of three, when he and his family moved to Flint, Michigan before moving to Waukegan, Illinois two years later; he attended Andrew Cooke and Novak Elementary Schools and Thomas Jefferson Middle School; he attended Waukegan High School until his junior year, playing basketball for three years; at the end of his junior year, he and his family moved to North Chicago; he graduated from North Chicago High School in 1972, where he played on the basketball team that made it to the super sectionals; he attended the College of Lake County; and

WHEREAS, Fernando Shipley worked at the Lake County Health Department before becoming a correctional officer assigned to the jail in Lake County; he was hired at the Waukegan Police Department in September 1979, working in patrol, investigations, and traffic before becoming a sergeant; he was then named commander of the Juvenile Bureau; he cofounded the Waukegan Chapter of Mothers Against Gangs and served as a member of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force; he was then promoted to lieutenant, retiring from the police force in 2004; he then served as an investigator for the State of Illinois Appellate Defender's Office and worked several security jobs before finally retiring; and

WHEREAS, Fernando Shipley was a spiritual man and a public servant dedicated to serving his community; he was elected to the Waukegan Community Unit School District #60 Board of Education in 2003, where he served for two years before becoming board president; he also worked on many initiatives with members of the community, served as a mentor to many young men, and worked to bridge the gap between community, families, and law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, Fernando Shipley was recognized throughout his career and life; he was named Patrolman of the Year and the Waukegan Exchange Club Officer of the Year and was a two-time nominee for Supervisor of the Year by the Waukegan Police Department; he also received the Lake County Political Leadership Award as Most Influential African-American, a proclamation from the Waukegan City Council for his work on several high-profile cases, a resolution as a member of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, the Waukegan Community School District #60 Appreciation Award, the Black Diamond Community Service Award, and the 2019 Drum Major Award from the Waukegan Township; and

WHEREAS, Fernando Shipley was preceded in death by his mother, Eloise Applewhite; his father, Charles Shipley Sr.; his brothers, Charles Shipley Jr. and Michael Malone; his grandmother, Virginia Drumgood; his uncles, Jack Brown, Edward Mullins, and Lewis Mullins; and his father-in-law, Harvey B. Ricks; and

WHEREAS, Fernando Shipley is survived by his wife of 46 years, Dr. Harlene (Ricks) Shipley; his son, Matthew (Erica) Eliot; his daughter, Rochelle Lynee; his grandchildren, Jayden Matthew and Scarlett Grace; his sister, Jacqueline (John) Joanem; his mother-in-law, Helen (Harvey) Ricks; his siblings-in-law, Valerie Ricks and Wayne Ricks; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Fernando Reynard Shipley and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

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