HR0844 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0844 LRB102 27369 LAW 39158 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Bob Chinn, who passed away in April 2022; and

WHEREAS, Bob Chinn was born to Wai and Yung Shee Ong Chinn in Duluth, Minnesota on March 2, 1923; as a young boy, he moved to Chicago during the Great Depression, where his family owned the Uptown restaurant New Wilson Village; he left high school and joined the U.S. Army during World War II, where he served as part of the 46th Field Artillery Battalion outside of Belfast, Northern Ireland for three years; and

WHEREAS, Bob Chinn was an American restaurateur; his first job was delivering food on foot for another restaurant at the age of 14; after the war, he started a number of his own businesses in the restaurant industry; his first business was supplying patterned plates to Chinese restaurants; from there, he then began selling equipment, remodeling, and eventually helping his family members open restaurants; he and his daughter, Marilyn, began traveling around the country in 1978, conducting research for the Midwestern seafood restaurant he had envisioned for some time; and

WHEREAS, Bob Chinn and his daughter negotiated the purchase of a shuttered building on Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling after years of planning and development, where, two days before Christmas in 1982, he opened Bob Chinn's Crab House, his 14th and most successful restaurant; over the years, his restaurant has expanded and grown from 250 seats to 700 seats, serving on average 2,500 meals a day with a 300-strong staff; his restaurant was named the top grossing restaurant in America by Forbes magazine in August 2012 with an estimated $24 million in annual revenue; and

WHEREAS, Bob Chinn was known for his brassy, gregarious, and outsized personality; he enjoyed watching baseball games, horse racing, films, and live theater and was a voracious reader; and

WHEREAS, Bob Chinn was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Jean Chinn, and his daughter, Barbara Chinn; and

WHEREAS, Bob Chinn is survived by his brother, Howard Chinn; his daughter, Marilyn Chinn LeTourneau; his son, Michael Chinn; his seven grandchildren; and his 10 great-grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Bob Chinn 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 Bob Chinn as an expression of our deepest sympathy.