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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | ||||||
| 3 | to learn of the death of Richard "Dick" Versace, who passed | ||||||
| 4 | away on February 25, 2022; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Dick Versace was born in Fort Bragg, North | ||||||
| 6 | Carolina on April 16, 1940; he earned his bachelor's degree in | ||||||
| 7 | Education from the University of Wisconsin in 1964; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Dick Versace coached at Forrest High School in | ||||||
| 9 | Forrest, St. Joseph High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and | ||||||
| 10 | finally at Gordon Tech High School in Chicago; he then entered | ||||||
| 11 | the collegiate level, coaching at St. Louis University and | ||||||
| 12 | Michigan State University, where he recruited future NBA star | ||||||
| 13 | Magic Johnson; from there, he landed his first head coaching | ||||||
| 14 | assignment at Jackson Community College; he is most notably | ||||||
| 15 | remembered as head coach at Bradley University from 1978 to | ||||||
| 16 | 1986, where he led the Bradley Braves to a National Invitation | ||||||
| 17 | Tournament (NIT) championship in 1982; he was named National | ||||||
| 18 | College Coach of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers' | ||||||
| 19 | Association for the 1985-86 season; and
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| 20 | WHEREAS, Dick Versace joined the ranks of the NBA as | ||||||
| 21 | assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons under Chuck Daley, | ||||||
| 22 | moving to head coach for the Indiana Pacers, and finally as | ||||||
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| 1 | assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks; between coaching the | ||||||
| 2 | Pacers and the Bucks, he was known for his sports commentary on | ||||||
| 3 | both TNT and WMAQ in Chicago; before retiring, he served as | ||||||
| 4 | president and general manager for the Vancouver/Memphis | ||||||
| 5 | Grizzlies; and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, Dick Versace brought his ebullient personality | ||||||
| 7 | and relentlessly positive energy to everything he did and | ||||||
| 8 | everyone he encountered; he understood the value of education | ||||||
| 9 | and sports as a means of helping lift people; he thrived on | ||||||
| 10 | helping young people and athletes, as well as colleagues and | ||||||
| 11 | friends, realize their potential; his generosity of heart and | ||||||
| 12 | spirit enriched all who were fortunate enough to know him; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Dick Versace was preceded in death by his | ||||||
| 14 | parents, Col. Humbert Joseph Versace and Marie Teresa Rios; | ||||||
| 15 | his brothers, Capt. Humbert Roque Versace and Stephen Versace; | ||||||
| 16 | and his sister, Trilby Versace; and
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| 17 | WHEREAS, Dick Versace is survived by his children, David | ||||||
| 18 | (Terri) and Julie; his grandchildren, Deklin and Tessa; his | ||||||
| 19 | brother, Michael Rios; and his partner, Dorothy Culhane; | ||||||
| 20 | therefore, be it
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| 21 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL | ||||||
| 22 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
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| 1 | Richard "Dick" Versace and extend our sincere condolences to | ||||||
| 2 | his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | ||||||
| 3 | further
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| 4 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 5 | presented to the family of Dick Versace as an expression of our | ||||||
| 6 | deepest sympathy.
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