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SENATE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to  
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learn of the death of
Bruce Frederick Newton of Aurora, who 
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passed away on November 6, 2007; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Bruce Newton was born in Saginaw, Michigan on 
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December 21, 1926; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Bruce Newton was a graduate of Arthur Hill High 
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School; after graduation, he joined the United States Navy and 
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was assigned to the USS Planter; he attended Bay City Junior 
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College and then enrolled in the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, 
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where he met his future wife, Claire, whom he married in 1948; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, Bruce Newton had a long and distinguished career 
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in the art of puppetry; he delighted children for 54 years by 
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performing throughout the Chicago area with as many as 150 
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puppet shows a year; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Bruce Newton's career in television began in 1949; 
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his wonderful characters soon gained great popularity, with his 
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shows being featured on WBKB in 1953 and the late-night 
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Saturday program "Shock Theater" in 1956; he and his wife also 
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worked on such shows as Kukla, Fran and Ollie, Mr. Wizard, and 
 


 






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Wide World of Sports; he also assisted in the creation of 
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WCIU-TV in 1964; he retired from television in 1976 and started 
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his own company, West Park Productions, which put on 
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tele-puppet revues throughout the Chicagoland area; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Bruce Newton's most famous puppet was Garfield 
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Goose, the self-proclaimed "King of the United States" on the 
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"Garfield Goose and Friends Show", which aired on WGN from 1952 
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until 1976; and
 
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    WHEREAS, In April of 2004, Bruce Newton and his wife were 
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inducted into the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame; on March 15, 
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2000, former Mayor David Stover declared "Bruce and Claire Day" 
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in recognition of their contributions to the city; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Bruce Newton was preceded in death by his wife and 
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his daughter, Darry Heenan; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Bruce Newton is survived by his children, Sandy 
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Bailey and her husband, Bill, Kim Newton and his wife, Lynne, 
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Robin Newton Iacono and her husband, August, and Tammy Katus 
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and her husband, Bob; his seven grandchildren; and his three 
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great-grandchildren; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL 
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ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with 
 


 






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his family and friends, the passing of Bruce Newton; and be it 
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further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the family of Bruce Newton as an expression of our 
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sympathy.