HR1332 LRB094 20619 HSS 58932 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the
3 State of Illinois learned with sadness of the death of Zedrick
4 Thomas Braden Jr. on Thursday, May 4, 2006; and
 
5     WHEREAS, He was born on May 31, 1927, in Chicago to Bernice
6 and Zedrick T. Braden Sr.; as a child, he joined the Boy Scouts
7 and attained the rank of Life Scout; he graduated from Wendell
8 Phillips High School in 1944 and was later inducted into its
9 Hall of Fame; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Mr. Braden received his B.A. degree from the
11 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1949; while a
12 student at the U of I, he was inducted into the Beta Chapter of
13 Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity; the University of Illinois is also
14 where he met the love of his life, Mary Jane Connell; they were
15 married on June 28, 1953, in Champaign; and
 
16     WHEREAS, As a young man, he gradually lost his eyesight; he
17 viewed his blindness as a minor inconvenience and not allowing
18 it to impede him, he followed in his father's footsteps and
19 studied law at John Marshall Law School; in 1955, he passed the
20 Illinois bar exam and joined his father and other colleagues in
21 the law firm of Braden, Hall, Barnes, and Moss; he remained in
22 the active practice of law for almost 50 years and was an
23 inspiration to many; and
 
24     WHEREAS, The community of Park Manor was transitional in
25 1953, and Mr. Braden became a community activist who
26 spearheaded leadership and conservation; he served as
27 President of the Park Manor Neighbors Community Council for 25
28 years; and
 
29     WHEREAS, Mr. Braden served as Deputy Liquor License
30 Commissioner and Administrative Hearing Officer for the City of

 

 

HR1332 - 2 - LRB094 20619 HSS 58932 r

1 Chicago for 22 years; he was also a lifetime member of the
2 County Bar Association and a member of the National Bar
3 Association, the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois
4 Judicial Council, the Illinois State Bar Association, and a
5 member of the Board of Directors of Chicago Ventures; for
6 several years he was a contributing columnist for the Citizen
7 newspaper; and
 
8     WHEREAS, As a devoted father, Mr. Braden participated in
9 the scouting program of Troop 534, the Tanner Elementary School
10 PTA, the Hirsch High School Educational Council, and the Hirsch
11 High School Dad's Club; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Zedrick Braden Jr. was an inspiration to many and
13 his passing has been deeply felt by many, especially his wife,
14 Mary Jane; his sons, Zedrick (Diane) and Stanton; his
15 grandsons, Daniel, Alec, and Miles Braden; his brother,
16 Everette Braden (Mary Jeanette); his sister, Ruth Robertson
17 (Fay); his cousins, Patricia Blake, Excellene (William), and
18 "Murrill" and Betty Neely and family; his sister-in-law, Gladys
19 Burris (Howard); his nieces, Jane Cartwright, Marilynne
20 Braden, Lisa Kay Robertson, Cheryl Burris, and Brenda Smith
21 (Vit); his nephews, Michael Burris (Myra) and Jeffrey Robertson
22 (Deborah); and his numerous other cousins, extended family, and
23 friends; therefore, be it
 
24     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
25 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
26 we mourn the passing of Zedrick Thomas Braden Jr., and we
27 extend our deepest sympathy to his family, friends, and all who
28 knew and loved him; and be it further
 
29     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
30 presented to his family as an expression of our sincerest
31 condolences.