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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 Charley "Joey" Moyer of Wilmington, | ||||||
| 4 | North Carolina, formerly of Alton, who passed away on | ||||||
| 5 | September 16, 2021; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Joey Moyer was born with cerebral palsy in | ||||||
| 7 | Chicago on May 1, 1945; he was immediately adopted by William | ||||||
| 8 | and Pauline Moyer; he was placed in the former Illinois Asylum | ||||||
| 9 | for Feeble-Minded Children in Lincoln at the age of two and a | ||||||
| 10 | half years; he relocated to a foster home in Alton in 1968; | ||||||
| 11 | while in Alton, he was cared for by Dale and Carol Neudecker | ||||||
| 12 | for over 30 years; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Joey Moyer was affectionately known as "Alton's | ||||||
| 14 | Can Man" for picking up aluminum cans as an additional source | ||||||
| 15 | of income around Upper Alton every day, no matter the weather; | ||||||
| 16 | he was well known in the area for his hard work and friendly | ||||||
| 17 | smile, and he was considered one of Alton's most famous | ||||||
| 18 | residents; and
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| 19 | WHEREAS, Joey Moyer was determined to live life as | ||||||
| 20 | normally as possible; after he left the foster home in Alton, | ||||||
| 21 | he rented a very small apartment off Ninth Street; while | ||||||
| 22 | there, he was severely beaten by a fellow boarder in 1987; his | ||||||
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| 1 | attack and the ensuing news coverage resulted in then-Governor | ||||||
| 2 | Jim Thompson enacting the "Joey Bill", which made it a felony | ||||||
| 3 | to attack a physically handicapped person; he was permitted to | ||||||
| 4 | sit in Governor Thompson's chair as the governor signed the | ||||||
| 5 | bill into law on January 13, 1988; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Joey Moyer was reunited with his adoptive | ||||||
| 7 | brothers in 2009, a meeting that he always wanted; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Joey Moyer, when he could no longer live on his | ||||||
| 9 | own, moved to the home of his close friends Roger and Pat | ||||||
| 10 | Lowery in Wilmington, North Carolina; he then eventually moved | ||||||
| 11 | to a retirement facility, where he became a checkers master | ||||||
| 12 | and challenged all comers at his new home; he was very happy | ||||||
| 13 | during his last few years; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, Joey Moyer was an exceptional human being of | ||||||
| 15 | extraordinary perseverance who was loved by all who knew him; | ||||||
| 16 | therefore, be it
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| 17 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL | ||||||
| 18 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
| 19 | Charley "Joey" Moyer and extend our sincere condolences to his | ||||||
| 20 | family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | ||||||
| 21 | further
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| 1 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 2 | presented to the family of Joey Moyer as an expression of our | ||||||
| 3 | deepest sympathy.
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