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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois | ||||||
3 | learned with regret of the death of Samuel A. Patch, a longtime | ||||||
4 | aide and strategist to former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington, | ||||||
5 | on Wednesday, January 5, 2005; and | ||||||
6 | WHEREAS, Samuel A. Patch was born in Chicago on September | ||||||
7 | 24, 1933, the second youngest of nine children, and remained a | ||||||
8 | life-long resident of the city to which he made such | ||||||
9 | significant contribution; and
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10 | WHEREAS, Mr. Patch graduated from Englewood High School and | ||||||
11 | earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from | ||||||
12 | Kentucky State University; and
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13 | WHEREAS, He lived in Chicago's 3rd Ward for most of his | ||||||
14 | life and made a tremendous imprint there; he helped to develop | ||||||
15 | many of the innovative, creative programs of former Alderman | ||||||
16 | Ralph Metcalfe that sought to improve the quality of life for | ||||||
17 | young people; and | ||||||
18 | WHEREAS, He served his country as a member of the United | ||||||
19 | States Armed Forces; and
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20 | WHEREAS, He was an active member of the Kappa Alpha Psi | ||||||
21 | Fraternity; and
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22 | WHEREAS, Mr. Patch was both a dedicated teacher in the | ||||||
23 | Chicago Public School System and played semi-professional | ||||||
24 | football for the Chicago Crusaders; and
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25 | WHEREAS, Samuel A. Patch was an astute businessman and | ||||||
26 | entrepreneur, acting as Manager of the Black Trey, owner of a | ||||||
27 | Northside nightclub, owner of International Trade Projects, | ||||||
28 | and owner/operator of Balton Corp., a successful national |
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1 | wholesale distribution business that specializes in paper and | ||||||
2 | janitorial products and restaurant supplies; despite his full | ||||||
3 | schedule, family was his top priority; and
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4 | WHEREAS, He was the loving father of Shari Wilson, | ||||||
5 | grandfather of four, affectionate brother of eight siblings | ||||||
6 | with four surviving siblings, and was uncle, mentor, and | ||||||
7 | cherished friend to many; and
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8 | WHEREAS, Mr. Patch believed in and contributed to the | ||||||
9 | intellectual and political growth of the City's youth via | ||||||
10 | membership in the Illinois High School Association, | ||||||
11 | Directorship of the Third Ward Christmas Baskets and Family | ||||||
12 | Christmas parties for over 4,500 children, and in executive | ||||||
13 | officer positions with the Study Program for Elementary | ||||||
14 | Students, Cook County Young Democrats, and the District 13 | ||||||
15 | Educational Advisory Council; and
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16 | WHEREAS, He made innumerable contributions to the city and | ||||||
17 | his community via service as Assistant Director of Model | ||||||
18 | Cities-Chicago Committee on Urban Opportunities, as Chair of | ||||||
19 | Model Cities Near South Area Planning Council, as Director of | ||||||
20 | the Decisive Aspirational Development Program, as a member of | ||||||
21 | the Citizens Review Committee for Grants from the State | ||||||
22 | Department of Mental Health, as Vice President of the City-wide | ||||||
23 | Citizen Advisory Board on Mental Health, as a member of the | ||||||
24 | Advisory Board Firman United Christian Community Services, as | ||||||
25 | Co-Chair of the Harold Washington Stamp Committee, and as | ||||||
26 | Founding Member of the Human Resources Development Institute | ||||||
27 | (HRDI); and
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28 | WHEREAS, Mr. Patch stood with courage and determination in | ||||||
29 | the movement for political empowerment of his community, | ||||||
30 | serving as Founder of the National Black Political Convention, | ||||||
31 | Chairman of the Illinois Black Political Assembly, Instructor | ||||||
32 | in political education classes for Chicago Black United |
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1 | Communities (CBUC) and the Charles A. Hayes Center, as a Board | ||||||
2 | Member for the National Black Political Coordinating | ||||||
3 | Committee, a member of the Task Force for Black Political | ||||||
4 | Empowerment, and a member of the Harold Washington Institute | ||||||
5 | for Research and Political Studies; and
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6 | WHEREAS, He was close friend, confidant, and advisor on | ||||||
7 | political strategy to the City's first African American Mayor, | ||||||
8 | Harold Washington, serving the Mayor prior to and during his | ||||||
9 | mayoralty and continuing thereafter to preserve Mayor | ||||||
10 | Washington's ideals and legacy by acting as District | ||||||
11 | Administrator in the historic First Congressional District, as | ||||||
12 | Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, and as a member of the | ||||||
13 | Chicago Public Library's Harold Washington Archives and | ||||||
14 | Collections Committee and the Harold Washington Think Tank; and
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15 | WHEREAS Mr. Patch stood for fairness in government and in | ||||||
16 | the electoral process, spearheading successful efforts for the | ||||||
17 | adoption of a reapportionment map to ensure electoral | ||||||
18 | representation and the retention of three Majority-Black | ||||||
19 | Congressional Districts, an effort that earned him the | ||||||
20 | sobriquet "Mr. Superb" by the Chicago Sun-Times, and serving as | ||||||
21 | a Delegate to the 1970 Illinois Constitutional Convention; and | ||||||
22 | WHEREAS, He was an avid Bears fan; described as a serious, | ||||||
23 | quiet man, he showed a different side in the football stadium; | ||||||
24 | it is his quiet, behind-the-scenes actions that will be missed | ||||||
25 | most, especially by the city's African-American community, | ||||||
26 | which has lost a political giant; he was involved in most, if | ||||||
27 | not all, of the political movements of the South Side for the | ||||||
28 | past 50 years; and
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29 | WHEREAS, He leaves a legacy of excellence, intellect, | ||||||
30 | dedication, and courage to the many young people whom he | ||||||
31 | befriended, mentored, and urged to follow him in leading lives | ||||||
32 | of progressive political, social, and community activism; |
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1 | therefore, be it | ||||||
2 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL | ||||||
3 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the death of | ||||||
4 | Samuel A. Patch, and we extend our deepest sympathy to his | ||||||
5 | family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | ||||||
6 | further
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7 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
8 | presented to the family of Mr. Patch as an expression of our | ||||||
9 | sincere condolences.
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