| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | ||||||
| 3 | to learn of the death of Joseph McKinley "Joe" Wars of Elgin, | ||||||
| 4 | who passed away on December 13, 2023; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, Joe Wars was born to Arthur Joseph and Fannie | ||||||
| 6 | Jackson Wars in Charlottesville, Virginia on May 13, 1942; he | ||||||
| 7 | was baptized at an early age at First Baptist Church on West | ||||||
| 8 | Main Street in Charlottesville; he graduated from Carver High | ||||||
| 9 | School in Newport News, Virginia and attended Virginia State | ||||||
| 10 | University; and | ||||||
| 11 | WHEREAS, Joe Wars had an illustrious sales career, | ||||||
| 12 | starting with Sears & Roebuck in the late 1960s and continuing | ||||||
| 13 | with Mattel Toys, Ferry Morris Seed Company, and Ron Hopkins | ||||||
| 14 | Ford; in 1976, he was transferred by the Ferry Morris Seed | ||||||
| 15 | Company from Roanoke, Virginia to Elgin, Illinois, where he | ||||||
| 16 | served as district manager; he received numerous awards from | ||||||
| 17 | the Ferry Morris Seed Company as well as his other employers; | ||||||
| 18 | and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, Joe Wars was dedicated to serving his community | ||||||
| 20 | wherever he resided; he was a past president of the national | ||||||
| 21 | chapter of the Black Jaycees while living in Roanoke, | ||||||
| 22 | Virginia, and he became a lifetime member of the local chapter | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | in Elgin; he chaired the City of Elgin's Dr. King Annual Food | ||||||
| 2 | Drive since its inception in 2011; he served on the board of | ||||||
| 3 | directors for the Elgin Boys and Girls Club and also belonged | ||||||
| 4 | to the Elgin Human Relations Commission and the Elgin Image | ||||||
| 5 | and Advisory Committee; and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, Joe Wars especially enjoyed celebrating and | ||||||
| 7 | volunteering at Christmas; for many years, he donned a Santa | ||||||
| 8 | suit, and he and his daughter, Stephanie, who served as his elf | ||||||
| 9 | helper, distributed toys to children in the hospital; he also | ||||||
| 10 | helped deliver gifts from the Salvation Army to area families; | ||||||
| 11 | and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, For his volunteerism, Joe Wars received Elgin's | ||||||
| 13 | Dr. King Legacy Award in 2017 and was named the honorary | ||||||
| 14 | chairperson of the city's 2023 Crop Walk; and | ||||||
| 15 | WHEREAS, Joe Wars was known for his warm and welcoming | ||||||
| 16 | personality; he will be remembered for his legacy of helping | ||||||
| 17 | others; and | ||||||
| 18 | WHEREAS, Joe Wars was preceded in death by his parents; | ||||||
| 19 | his brothers, Francis Jerome and Anthony Wendell Wars; and his | ||||||
| 20 | aunt and uncle, Rosalee and Lawrence Keyes; and | ||||||
| 21 | WHEREAS, Joe Wars is survived by his wife of 59 Years, | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | Jeannette Davis Wars; his daughter, Stephanie (Martin) | ||||||
| 2 | Wars-Williams; his grandchildren, Marissa, Ryan, and Taylor; | ||||||
| 3 | his great-granddaughter, Olivia; his brother, Arthur Wars; his | ||||||
| 4 | sister, Camilla (William) Wars Mitchell; his nieces, Chekisha | ||||||
| 5 | and Yoma; his special cousins, Pauletta and Lawrence; and a | ||||||
| 6 | host of other relatives and friends; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 7 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | ||||||
| 8 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
| 9 | Joseph McKinley "Joe" Wars and extend our sincere condolences | ||||||
| 10 | to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be | ||||||
| 11 | it further | ||||||
| 12 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 13 | presented to the family of Joe Wars as an expression of our | ||||||
| 14 | deepest sympathy. | ||||||