|
| | HR0807 | | LRB100 20345 MST 35632 r |
|
|
1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
|
2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of |
3 | | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Arthur |
4 | | Velasquez of North Aurora, who passed away on January 27, 2017; |
5 | | and
|
6 | | WHEREAS, Arthur Velasquez was born in Lockhart, Texas on |
7 | | December 30, 1934 and attended segregated schools with other |
8 | | Latino students; and
|
9 | | WHEREAS, As a young boy, Arthur Velasquez worked in his |
10 | | father's mechanic shop and learned that he was very skilled |
11 | | with his hands, which would play a role in his later life; and |
12 | | WHEREAS, Arthur Velasquez became involved in politics at a |
13 | | young age and served on committees with his then-Congressman |
14 | | Lyndon Johnson; and |
15 | | WHEREAS, In 1956, Arthur Velasquez met and married his |
16 | | wife, Alice; they were married for 41 years until her passing |
17 | | in 1997; and |
18 | | WHEREAS, Arthur Velasquez became a carpenter and joined the |
19 | | United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC); in 1966, he was |
20 | | appointed as an organizer for the UBC and later became a |
|
| | HR0807 | - 2 - | LRB100 20345 MST 35632 r |
|
|
1 | | representative for the International President of the UBC, |
2 | | where he worked in several states, Puerto Rico, and the |
3 | | Caribbean; and |
4 | | WHEREAS, In 1973, Arthur Velasquez's increased |
5 | | responsibilities with the carpenters union allowed him to move |
6 | | his family to North Aurora; and |
7 | | WHEREAS, Arthur Velasquez was a true community servant and |
8 | | served on the boards of many community organizations in Aurora, |
9 | | including the United Way, the Urban League, the Hispanic |
10 | | Heritage Advisory Board, Family Counseling Service, Study |
11 | | Circles, Friends of Seniors, and Centro Panamericano; and |
12 | | WHEREAS, Arthur Velasquez was heavily involved in |
13 | | Democratic politics in the Aurora area, having been a mentor |
14 | | for many elected officials, whether they were congressmen or |
15 | | township trustees; and |
16 | | WHEREAS, Arthur Velasquez was a powerful voice for |
17 | | organized labor in the Aurora area; and |
18 | | WHEREAS, Arthur Velasquez was a passionate advocate for |
19 | | education; after growing up in segregated schools, he fought |
20 | | for the right of all students to receive a quality education |
21 | | and saw it as a great equalizer; and |
|
| | HR0807 | - 3 - | LRB100 20345 MST 35632 r |
|
|
1 | | WHEREAS, Arthur Velasquez served as president of League of |
2 | | United Latin American Citizens Council (LULAC) 5218 and the |
3 | | LULAC Council of the Aurora Foundation, where he raised more |
4 | | than $200,000 for scholarships for local students; and
|
5 | | WHEREAS, The stories of Arthur Velasquez's generosity and |
6 | | kindness in the Aurora community are countless; and
|
7 | | WHEREAS, Arthur Velasquez was the proud father of Patty, |
8 | | Valarie, Art, April, Crystal and Timothy; grandfather to Dodi, |
9 | | Jeremy, Christopher, Marcus, Jackie, Mike, Jeff, Amber, |
10 | | Autumn, Anthony, Tyler, and Sean; and great-grandfather to |
11 | | Veronica, Victoria, Mya, Liam, Camden, Saylor, Jack, Will, |
12 | | Brenna, and Jade; therefore, be it
|
13 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE |
14 | | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we |
15 | | mourn the passing of Arthur Velasquez, and extend our sincere |
16 | | condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved |
17 | | him; and be it further
|
18 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
19 | | presented to the family of Arthur Velasquez as an expression of |
20 | | our deepest sympathy.
|