SR1479 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1479 LRB101 22483 MST 73565 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of John Robert Lawrence of Bloomington, who passed away on October 8, 2020; and

WHEREAS, John Lawrence was born in Rockford to Robert A. and Olive Safford Lawrence on May 24, 1932; he graduated from West High School in Rockford in 1950; he received a Bachelor of Arts from Knox College in Galesburg in 1954 with a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant, Infantry U.S. Army; he married Winifred Gillen at the historic Old Main at Knox College on September 24, 1954; after training at Ft. Benning, he was stationed in Germany with the 9th Infantry Division, Army of Occupation; he also served with the 1st, 8th, and 10th Infantry Divisions in command staff and communications assignments; and

WHEREAS, John Lawrence left the military in 1962, and he joined the Admissions Office of MacMurray College in Jacksonville; he returned to Knox College and served as the Associate Director of Admissions for 12 years; he then became Assistant to the Dean of a medical division of New York University; later, he went into business as a business forms designer; he was appointed as an instructor in the Department of Dietetics at Western Illinois University and had great fun with non-credit courses in which he and many local cooks taught each other; and

WHEREAS, John Lawrence and Winifred retired to Colchester, where they became frequent visitors at Damones Restaurant, owned at that time by his son, Bill, and his wife, Jan; and

WHEREAS, John Lawrence was active in the Kiwanis Club in Normal and with Senior Professionals at Illinois State University; he was also an active member of the Strategy and Planning Council, Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University; and

WHEREAS, John Lawrence was preceded in death by his wife, Winifred; his parents; and his sisters, Mary and Roberta; and

WHEREAS, John Lawrence is survived by his sister, Ruth Ives; his son and daughter-in-law, Robert F. "Bob" and Ellen Lawrence, and their children, Christopher, Bobby, Katy, and Tom; his daughter and son-in-law, Jane and David Beveridge, and their daughters, Wendy and Gail; his son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Jan Lawrence, and their children, John, Kate, and Kristen; and 13 great-grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of John Robert Lawrence 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 John Lawrence as an expression of our deepest sympathy.