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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of John Della Valle of Waukegan, who passed
4 away on July 18, 2007; and
 
5     WHEREAS, John Della Valle was born in 1923 in Waukegan; he
6 attended Whittier Elementary School and Waukegan Township High
7 School, where he graduated in 1941; he attended the University
8 of Illinois for two years before joining the Army and serving
9 in the South Pacific during the Second World War; and
 
10     WHEREAS, John Della Valle served with the Waukegan police
11 department from 1951 to 1974, serving his final seven years as
12 chief; he had the difficult task of replacing most of the
13 department's officers with rookies in 1970, when 54 officers
14 were fired by the city after going on strike; and
 
15     WHEREAS, After his retirement from the Waukegan Police
16 Department, John Della Valle served as chief of security for
17 the Outboard Motor Corporation in Waukegan; and
 
18     WHEREAS, John Della Valle served on the Waukegan School
19 Board and the City of Waukegan Development Board; he was
20 heavily involved in numerous civic organizations; he was a big
21 supporter of athletics within the city, where he helped form

 

 

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1 Waukegan's first Little League baseball teams in the early
2 1950s and assisted in the building of Hinkston Field House in
3 2004; and
 
4     WHEREAS, John Della Valle is survived by his wife, Janet;
5 his son, Jim; his daughter, Jeanne Gotkowski; and his nine
6 grandchildren; and
 
7     WHEREAS, John Della Valle will be remembered by all who
8 knew and loved him as a very straight forward and honest person
9 who was always very free with his advice; therefore, be it
 
10     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
11 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
12 his family and friends, the passing of John Della Valle; and be
13 it further
 
14     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15 presented to the family of John Della Valle as an expression of
16 our sympathy.