093_SR0133
LRB093 11675 KEF 15248 r
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of
3 Illinois were saddened to learn of the death of Joseph
4 Salvador Bonansinga of Quincy on April 4, 2003; and
5 WHEREAS, Mr. Bonansinga was affectionately known as "Mr.
6 Quincy" to his community; and
7 WHEREAS, Mr. Bonansinga was born in Quincy on July 20,
8 1910, he was one of two sons of Salvador "Sully" and Nettie
9 (nee Malambri) Bonansinga; he married Eida Blaisdell in 1938,
10 she died in 1966; he married Patricia Blackburn on April 27,
11 1968; and
12 WHEREAS, Mr. Bonansinga's multi-faceted career included
13 working as a professional musician, leading the Joe
14 Bonansinga Orchestra in the 1930s, broadcasting, and raising
15 money for Quincy University; and
16 WHEREAS, Before World War II, he worked as a sales
17 representative for John Musolino and Co., a wholesale product
18 company; in 1943, he entered the United States Army, serving
19 as company clerk at Fort McPherson, Georgia; he was
20 discharged in October 1945; and
21 WHEREAS, In 1947, Mr. Bonansinga joined the staff of
22 Quincy's new radio station, WGEM; six years later, on
23 September 4, 1953, he was part of the team that produced the
24 first television broadcast in Quincy on WGEM-TV; and
25 WHEREAS, Mr. Bonansinga's dedication to Quincy was
26 legendary; after a 28-year career as vice president and
27 general manager of WGEM radio, he was named as Quincy
28 College's first vice president in charge of college
29 development, and received an honorary doctorate; and
30 WHEREAS, Mr. Bonansinga served as a member and president
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1 of the Quincy University (Q.U.) Board of Trustees and founded
2 the Solano Club to support the University's music department;
3 he was honored for that dedication when he received Q.U.'s
4 Charles R. Winking Memorial Award in 1992; he also received
5 the school's Alumni Service Award in 1960 and an honorary
6 Doctor of Letters award in 1978; he was named Q.U. Alumnus of
7 the 20th Century; and
8 WHEREAS, During his broadcast career, Mr. Bonansinga
9 served as president of the Illinois Broadcasters Association
10 (IBA) and as WGEM's general manager; he retired in 1975, and
11 received a life membership from the IBA; and
12 WHEREAS, Mr. Bonansinga helped raise money for a number
13 of Quincy institutions, including the United Way of Adams
14 County, Quincy Schools, the Quincy Housing Authority, Quincy
15 Notre Dame High School, and the Salvation Army Board, on
16 which he served for more than 40 years; and
17 WHEREAS, He also served as president or chairman of the
18 Chamber of Commerce, the Quincy Rotary Foundation, the St.
19 Mary Hospital Board, the Illinois Veterans Home centennial
20 celebration, efforts to renovate Morrison Theatre and
21 Morrison Plaza at Quincy Junior High School, and the
22 dedication of Quincy's new City Hall; and
23 WHEREAS, Mr. Bonansinga won nearly every community
24 service award in the city, including the Book of Golden Deeds
25 Award of the Quincy Exchange Club (1975), the City of Quincy
26 Arts Award (1987), the Parker S. Gates Award of the Quincy
27 Area Chamber of Commerce (1991), the Humanitarian of the Year
28 Award of the Family Service Agency (1991), the Boy Scouts
29 Distinguished Citizen Award (1993), and the Jaycees Boss of
30 the Year Award twice; and
31 WHEREAS, He was even the first recipient of an award
32 named after him, the Joe Bonansinga Award, given by United
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1 Way of Adams County for outstanding volunteerism; and
2 WHEREAS, Mr. Bonansinga also was a key volunteer in
3 events such as the Centennial Pilgrimage celebrating the Rev.
4 Augustine Tolton, the nation's first black priest, the Q.U.'s
5 $15 million Goal 2000 capital campaign, and the Salvation
6 Army's centennial celebration; the Salvation Army renamed its
7 two-story addition building the Joe Bonansinga Life
8 Enrichment Center; in 1992, the city renamed Bayview Drive
9 after him; in addition, he served as a Q.U. trustee, Dogwood
10 Parade marshal, and as chairman of Arts/Quincy Riverfest; and
11 WHEREAS, Many of Quincy's civic and social service groups
12 have honored him over the years; and
13 WHEREAS, Mr. Bonansinga's passing will be deeply felt by
14 many, especially his wife, Patricia; his two nephews, Sully
15 Bonansinga and his wife, Diane, and William Bonansinga and
16 his wife, Mary; his niece, Natalie Jane Stickler and her
17 husband, Kent; his sister-in-law, Lucille Bonansinga; his
18 great-nieces and nephews; and his great-great-nieces and
19 nephews; and
20 WHEREAS, Mr. Bonansinga was preceded in death by his
21 first wife; his parents; and a brother, William "Bill";
22 therefore, be it
23 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL
24 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the death of
25 Joseph Salvador Bonansinga along with all who knew and loved
26 him and extend our sincere condolences to his family,
27 friends, and community; and be it further
28 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
29 presented to the family of Mr. Joseph Salvador Bonansinga
30 with our deepest sympathy.