SR1057 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1057 LRB102 27724 MST 39519 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Myron J. "Mike" Sholem, who passed away on May 19, 2022; and

WHEREAS, Mike Sholem was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Jerome J. and Faye Siegal Sholem on February 23, 1924; he was raised in Champaign and attended both University Laboratory High School and Champaign High School; he served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during World War II and then attended the University of Illinois, where he was a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity; he married Sonya Ades in Louisville, Kentucky on August 29, 1950; and

WHEREAS, Mike Sholem was active in the Champaign business community; he started his career after college by joining his father in the family business, Sholem's Shoes, which was established by his grandfather, William Sholem, in Paris, Illinois in 1872; later he was joined at the company by his brother, Stanford Sholem, and the Sholem brothers worked side by side for over 25 years as they expanded the business until its sale in 1979; and

WHEREAS, Mike Sholem changed his focus to family farm management and real estate development; he kept a small family office in downtown Champaign, where he managed his family business interests; he always found time to join his daily coffee group and lunch group for a spirited discussion of all major local, national, and world events; he was an active member of the board of the Champaign National Bank, Mercy Hospital, and the Champaign Salvation Army; he was also a member of the Champaign Rotary Club, the Champaign Country Club, the University of Illinois Foundation, and Sinai Temple; and

WHEREAS, Mike Sholem had an active mind and incredible memory, with the ability to recount specific details of his childhood, career, personal travels, and his winters with Sonya in Longboat Key, Florida, California, and Hawaii; some of his greatest joys revolved around reading the Wall Street Journal from cover to cover each day and sharing the day's events with his two sons and five grandchildren; he loved getting calls from his family and trying to keep up with the details of their various business activities; he was an avid sports fan and rarely missed a televised St. Louis Cardinals baseball game or any Illinois football or basketball game; his impressive longevity is attributed by some to his consistent diet of Steak 'n Shake burgers, fries, and milkshakes for most of his adult life; and

WHEREAS, Mike Sholem was preceded in death by his parents and his brother and sister-in-law, William and Connie Sholem; and

WHEREAS, Mike Sholem is survived by his wife of over 71 years, Sonya; his sons, David (Jan) and Barry (Frankie) Sholem; his grandchildren, Jamie (Mariel) Sholem, Katie (Scott) Arnoldy, Caroline (Ben) Weinberg, Jordan Sholem, and Grant Sholem; his great-grandchildren, Jackson, Juliette, Annabel, Libby, Sidney James, and John; and his brother and sister-in-law, Stanford "Tank" and Susan Sholem; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Myron J. "Mike" Sholem 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 Mike Sholem as an expression of our deepest sympathy.