HR1629 LRB095 23102 KXB 53723 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of William
4 E. Brazley of Olympia Fields, who passed away November 8, 2008;
5 and
 
6     WHEREAS, Architect William E. Brazley Jr. left his mark on
7 the skyline of Chicago, the suburbs and O'Hare Airport, but one
8 of his proudest moments was when he stepped on the golf course
9 at Olympia Fields Country Club in 1992; Mr. Brazley and Eric
10 Johnson, the former head of Johnson Products Company, were the
11 first two African Americans voted into the old-line country
12 club by the membership; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Mr. Brazley started William E. Brazley &
14 Associates Ltd., a Matteson architectural company, with his
15 wife, Peggy, in 1975; they built the company into a one of the
16 largest minority-owned architectural firms in the Midwest,
17 with more than 40 employees and two additional offices; the
18 company completed more than 500 projects during its 30-year
19 history; and
 
20     WHEREAS, In addition, the firm designed and built the $50
21 million joint cargo facility at O'Hare Airport for Lufthansa
22 and Air France Airlines, the $40 million convocation center at

 

 

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1 Chicago State University, and the Maywood public works
2 facility, as well as numerous schools, churches, and
3 educational municipal buildings in the Chicago area, Michigan,
4 and Indiana; and
 
5     WHEREAS, The company also worked with other builders on
6 major ventures including the McCormick Place Annex, the United
7 Terminal at O'Hare, Navy Pier expansion, and the modernization
8 of Cook County Hospital; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Mr. Brazley was a graduate of Thornton High School
10 in Harvey and Purdue University and did advanced work at
11 Massachusetts Institute of Technology; before starting his
12 firm he was director of facilities management and assistant
13 budget director at Governors State University; and
 
14     WHEREAS, He was an accomplished chef who was proud of his
15 gumbo; he had an extensive outdoor kitchen that was once
16 featured on a home and garden television show; and
 
17     WHEREAS, William Brazley is survived by his wife, Peggy;
18 his two sons, Kerry and Kendall; five grandchildren; and his
19 Goddaughter, Bettie Lewis; therefore, be it
 
20     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
21 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we

 

 

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1 mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of
2 William Brazley; and be it further
 
3     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
4 presented to the family of William E. Brazley as a symbol of
5 our sincere sympathy.