|
|
|
|
SR0697 |
|
LRB094 20119 HSS 57824 r |
|
|
| 1 |
| SENATE RESOLUTION
|
| 2 |
| WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois |
| 3 |
| learned with regret of the death of Raymond J. Petka of Wheaton |
| 4 |
| on Friday, March 24, 2006; and
|
| 5 |
| WHEREAS, Rajmund J. Petka was born on June 22, 1924, to Leo |
| 6 |
| Jerome Petka and Marianna Drzewiecki; his mother preceded him |
| 7 |
| in death in 1927; his father was remarried to Mary Jankowski, |
| 8 |
| and she raised Ray and his siblings; and
|
| 9 |
| WHEREAS, He attended Kelly High School, where he was a |
| 10 |
| pitcher on the team that finished second in the State; and
|
| 11 |
| WHEREAS, Mr. Petka enlisted in the U.S. Army when he was 17 |
| 12 |
| in 1941; he forged his father's signature to allow his |
| 13 |
| enlistment prior to reaching the age of 18; he served in the |
| 14 |
| armored cavalry in the 1st Army Division under General Hodges; |
| 15 |
| he trained in Wyoming, South Carolina, and Camp McCoy in |
| 16 |
| Wisconsin; he went to New York to be deployed for the war, |
| 17 |
| first arriving in Glasgow, Scotland; he trained further in |
| 18 |
| Glochester, England; and
|
| 19 |
| WHEREAS, On June 6, 1944, his division was part of the |
| 20 |
| invasion at Omaha Beach at Normandy; he was later honored by |
| 21 |
| the nation of France for being a part of the invasion to |
| 22 |
| liberate Normandy; he also participated in the Battle of the |
| 23 |
| Bulge in Belgium under General Patton; and
|
| 24 |
| WHEREAS, When he arrived home from the war, he worked at |
| 25 |
| Western Electric; he married Theresa Mary Zychlewicz on June 6, |
| 26 |
| 1948; they were married for 57 years; and
|
| 27 |
| WHEREAS, The passing of Raymond J. Petka has been deeply |
| 28 |
| felt by many; he was the loving father of Christine (Angelo) |
| 29 |
| Corpora, Maryann (Ron) Sutter, Paul (Stephanie), and Louise |