093_SR0235
LRB093 13261 HSS 18530 r
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of
3 Illinois learned with much regret of the death of Buddy Wayne
4 Davis of Wood River on Sunday, September 7, 2003; and
5 WHEREAS, Mr. Davis was born on March 6, 1930 in Alton to
6 Helen (Bourland) Hunt and Everett "Pete" Davis; he married
7 Iola E. Davis on May 9, 1949 in Alton; she preceded him in
8 death on May 7, 1999; and
9 WHEREAS, After graduating from Alton High School, Mr.
10 Davis enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was honorably discharged
11 in 1950; he then began his work with Laclede Steel; he served
12 as shop steward, vice president, and full-time president of
13 Local 3643 at Laclede Steel for 8 years; and
14 WHEREAS, Mr. Davis was known as the "working man's"
15 advocate and was very active in the United Steel Workers
16 Association Local 3643; his union duties included serving as
17 vice president of the Missouri and Illinois AFL-CIO, chairman
18 of the USWA Illinois P.A.C., chairman and member of the
19 congressional district COPE, chairman and secretary of
20 numerous AFL-CIO and USWA International conventions, chairman
21 of Illinois AFL-CIO community services committee, and
22 chairman to negotiation committees, including National Steel,
23 American Can Co., and ASARCO; and
24 WHEREAS, In 1973, Mr. Davis became the sub-director of
25 USWA District 34, which represented more than 20,000 workers
26 in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and the southern
27 three-quarters of Illinois; in 1977, he was elected director
28 of District 34; he retired from the position in 1993; and
29 WHEREAS, Mr. Davis was also very involved with community
30 activities; he was instrumental in raising money to purchase
31 land for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville; he was
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1 the first president of the Alton-Wood River United Way and
2 was a board member for both the St. Louis and Alton-Wood
3 River United Way Chapters; he was a member of the University
4 of Illinois and Missouri University Labor Institutes Advisory
5 committees; he was on fund-raising committees for the United
6 Way, Salvation Army, YMCA, and the American Red Cross; he was
7 a delegate for many union conventions and served just more
8 than a year on the Wood River City Council from February 17,
9 1998 to April of 1999; he was honored to be the first labor
10 leader to receive a Junior Chamber of Commerce man of the
11 year award; and
12 WHEREAS, The passing of Mr. Davis has been deeply felt by
13 many, especially his mother, Helen; his sons and
14 daughters-in-law, State Representative Steve and Carol Davis,
15 Scott Davis, Danny Davis, Mike Davis, Brian and Tina Davis,
16 and Brady and Kristi Davis; his daughters and sons-in-law,
17 Dawn and Harold Schallenberg and Marla and Kevin Johnessee;
18 his grandchildren, Shane Davis, Shelly Bell and her husband,
19 Tim, Scottie Davis and his wife, Sherina, Cory Davis, Justin
20 Davis, Ryan Schallenberg and his wife, Rachel, Crystal
21 Rezabek and her husband, Brian, Brent, Brianna, and Calvin
22 Davis, Kendra and Austin Johnessee, Brooke Davis, and Donovan
23 Davis; his five great-grandchildren; his sister, Betty
24 McDonald; his brother, Gary Hunt and his wife, Jeanie; and
25 his stepsister, Norma Berkley; therefore, be it
26 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL
27 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the loss of
28 Buddy Wayne Davis, and we express our sincere and deepest
29 sympathy to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
30 him; and be it further
31 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
32 presented to the family of Buddy Wayne Davis as a token of
33 our sincere condolences during their time of bereavement.