093_SR0215
LRB093 12482 KEF 17669 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 Watts Carey
4 Johnson of Princeton on June 13, 2003; and
5 WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson was born on June 21, 1925; he
6 graduated from Princeton High School, Western Michigan
7 University, and Northwestern University School of Law; and
8 WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson joined the law firm of his father
9 Carey R. Johnson and Senator Joseph R. Peterson; he retired
10 from the law firm of Johnson, Martin, Russell, English, Scoma
11 and Beneke, P.C., in 1995; he served as assistant state's
12 attorney from 1957-1964, and as vice president of the Fifth
13 District Bar Federation from 1963-1966; he was admitted to
14 practice law in the United States Supreme Court; he served on
15 the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee from 1977-1995; he
16 also served at all levels of the Attorney Registration and
17 Disciplinary Commission Inquiry Hearing and Review Panels and
18 was the commissioner of the ARDC; and
19 WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson was a member and past president of
20 the Bureau County Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar
21 Association, the American College of Probate Counsel, the
22 International Association of Insurance Counsel, the National
23 Association of of Railroad Trial Counsel, the Illinois
24 Defense Counsel, the Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association,
25 and as a charter member of the Illinois Bar Foundation; he
26 was president of the Princeton Jaycees in 1954, chairman of
27 Bureau Valley Merit Commission from 1985-1988 and active on a
28 national level with the Camp Fire Girls of America; he was
29 listed in the 1994-1995 edition of the Who's Who in American
30 Law; and
31 WHEREAS, For many years, he sang tenor in a barbershop
32 quartet and directed the choir at the Baptist Church; a
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1 member of the Elks Club Lodge, he once served as Chairman of
2 the Bureau County Red Cross; he enjoyed traveling; and
3 WHEREAS, Mr. Watts Carey Johnson's passing will be deeply
4 felt by many, especially his wife of more than 53 years,
5 Claire Hayes Johnson; his twin brother, Calvin F. (Lillian)
6 Johnson; his sister-in-law, Mrs. Maurice (Ann) Connor; his
7 five children, Gregory (Michele) Johnson and their children
8 Oliver, Gabriel, and Ariane; Philip Johnson; Mrs. Mark
9 (Carolyn) Pihl and their children, Caitlin and Madison; Brian
10 (Julie) Johnson and their children, Eli and Bowen; and
11 Barbara Johnson; his nephews, Kevin Johnson and Neal (Jill)
12 Connors; and his niece, Carey Johnson; therefore, be it
13 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL
14 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing
15 of Watts Carey Johnson along with all who knew and loved him
16 and extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends;
17 and be it further
18 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19 presented to the family of Watts Carey Johnson as an
20 expression of our deepest sympathy.