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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives  are saddened to learn of the death of Thomas 
4A. Oakley of Quincy, who passed away on April 13, 2022; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, Thomas Oakley was born to Thomas C. and Mary 
6Susan Sullivan Oakley in Quincy on June 24, 1932; he attended 
7Quincy public schools and graduated from Quincy High School in 
81950; he graduated from Duke University in 1954 with a 
9bachelor's degree in Economics; following graduation, he 
10served in the Air Force Strategic Air Command as a pilot; he 
11married Anne McDonald in Raleigh, North Carolina on December 
1222, 1954, and she preceded him in death in 2015; and
  
 
13    WHEREAS, In 1958, Thomas Oakley returned to Quincy to 
14re-enter the family business of Quincy Newspapers, Inc., now 
15Quincy Media, Inc., as a fourth generation family member; in 
161968, he became president of the company  following the death 
17of his father; as president/CEO from 1969 to 2008, he led the 
18company's growth from owning and operating the Quincy 
19Herald-Whig and WGEM AM-FM-TV to adding television stations in 
20several markets and one additional newspaper; he resigned as 
21president/CEO in 2008 but  remained active in the company as 
22publisher of the Herald-Whig until 2017 and as a member of the  
23board of directors of Quincy Media until it sold its 
 
 
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1television and radio stations to Gray Media and its newspapers 
2to Phillips Media in 2021; and
  
 
3    WHEREAS, Thomas Oakley served on numerous committees and 
4in many organizations throughout his life; notably, he helped 
5found the Joint Industrial Development Commission (JIDC), 
6which was the predecessor organization to the Great River 
7Economic Development Foundation (GREDF); he was  a member of 
8the Quincy University Board of Trustees and  a member of the 
9board of directors of the National Association of 
10Broadcasters; he served as a  chairman of the Television Bureau 
11of Advertising and  on a newspaper industry committee dealing 
12with cross ownership of television stations and newspapers; he 
13also served for over 40 years on the USGA Greens Section 
14Committee; and
  
 
15    WHEREAS, Thomas Oakley was a strong advocate for the 
16United Way and for the construction of a new YMCA building in 
171970; he was also an active supporter of the Community 
18Foundation of Western Illinois and Northeast Missouri; and
  
 
19    WHEREAS, Thomas Oakley spent over 60 years working on 
20highway development for the Tri-States as the region was 
21bypassed in the formation of the country's interstate system 
22in 1956; through his involvement and leadership, the region 
23ultimately has become the crossroads of three major highways 
 
 
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1linking the tri-state region to the rest of the country; he 
2recently donated one million dollars to fund the Tri-State 
3Development Summit at Culver Stockton College to foster 
4further, ongoing regional development work; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, Thomas Oakley was recognized with many awards for 
6his community service, including being inducted into the 
7Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame and being the 
8first recipient of the annual Boy Scout community service 
9award;
he received lifetime awards from the Midwest Chapter of 
10the National Television Arts and Sciences, the Broadcasters 
11Foundation of America, the National Association of 
12Broadcasters, the Illinois Broadcasters Association, and the 
13Illinois Press Association; he was awarded an honorary degree  
14from Quincy University in 1975; a portion of the Chicago to 
15Kansas City Expressway was named the Thomas A. Oakley Highway 
16in 2009; and
  
 
17    WHEREAS, Thomas Oakley loved spending time with his 
18family, especially at family events in Florida, Quincy, and 
19the upper peninsula of Michigan; he was an avid golfer who 
20traveled all over the world to play, including 20 years of 
21trips to Scotland; he was also a frequent hunter and boater; 
22and
  
 
23    WHEREAS, Thomas Oakley was preceded in death by his 
 
 
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1parents; his wife; his son, Thomas C. Oakley II; his 
2son-in-law, Stephen Winters; his daughter-in-law, Lisa Smith 
3Oakley; and his two brothers, Peter A. and David R. Oakley; and
  
 
4    WHEREAS, At the time of his passing, Thomas Oakley was 
5survived by his son, Ralph; his daughter, Mary; his 
6grandchildren, Tom (Lesley) Van Ness, Ben (Amanda) Van Ness, 
7Allison (Dustin) Oakley Hall, Jonathan (Mark Peacock) Van 
8Ness, and Sullivan Oakley (Joseph Burg); his step-grandchild, 
9Jennifer Reekie (Don Krutmeier); his
great-grandchildren, 
10Olivia Van Ness, Liam Hall, Sterling Van Ness, Cameron Van 
11Ness, Anne Hall, Emma Van Ness, and Oliver Hall; his 
12step-great-grandchildren, Isla, Campbell, Cora, and Ailsa 
13Reekie and Brynn and Carter Krutmeier; his sisters-in-law, 
14Mary Oakley, Signe Oakley, and Mabel McDonald; his 
15brother-in-law, Ralph McDonald (Meg McLaurin); and several 
16cousins, nieces, and nephews; therefore, be it
  
 
17    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
18HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
19we mourn the passing of Thomas A. Oakley and extend our sincere 
20condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved 
21him; and be it further
  
 
22    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be

23presented to the family of Thomas Oakley as an expression of

 
 
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1our deepest sympathy.