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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of Richard Carl Mellen of Lake Forest, who
4 passed away on January 27, 2008 while sailing in the Caribbean;
5 and
 
6     WHEREAS, Richard Carl Mellen was born in Toledo, Ohio on
7 November 7, 1937, to Carl E. Mellen and Mildred (Wishard)
8 Mellen; and
 
9     WHEREAS, His family moved to Waukegan in 1938, and he went
10 to Greenwood Grade School and Lake Forest Academy; he then
11 attended Stanford University and graduated in 1959 with a
12 Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics; while at Stanford he was
13 a loyal member of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity; after Stanford he
14 served in the United States Army as a combat infantry second
15 lieutenant; and
 
16     WHEREAS, In 1960, he began working for USF&G Insurance
17 Company in Nashville, Tennessee as an underwriter; in February,
18 1962, he joined his father at his own insurance agency, Carl E.
19 Mellen and Co.; in 1975, his father retired and Richard took
20 over as president and owner of the agency; and
 
21     WHEREAS, He was involved with YMCA's Camp Jorn in

 

 

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1 Wisconsin, helping children who would not otherwise be able to
2 attend the camp; the Mellen Horse Arena at the camp is named
3 after him; Richard was dedicated to his home town of Waukegan
4 where he was one of the founders of the Genesee Theatre; he was
5 a life member of the Waukegan Yacht Club, joining in 1978,
6 where he kept his boat "Nightwind"; Richard was also a member
7 of Glen Flora Country Club, City Club, and Knollwood Club,
8 where he won the Governors' Cup Golf Championship; his
9 memberships in these clubs made him many lifelong friends; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Richard Mellen was very active in the North
11 Chicago Rotary Club, serving as President for two terms; he was
12 a tenure member, joining in 1969 and he served on many
13 committees; he enjoyed the game of golf and he loved to ski,
14 fish, and collect cars; in 1995 he was able to have his dream
15 boat "Pegasus" built, which was docked in St. Lucia where he
16 enjoyed sailing the beautiful islands; Richard's memory will
17 long live with many whom he considered his "family"; among
18 those are his fiancée, Kimberly Layden, Julie Guerin, who was a
19 lifelong friend of the Mellen family and devoted employee for
20 over 50 years, and all of his loyal office staff who remain at
21 Carl E. Mellen and Co. Insurance; and
 
22     WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and
23 Mildred Mellen, and his Aunt Mary (Wishard); and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, He is survived by his fiancée, Kimberly Layden;
2 therefore, be it
 
3     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
4 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
5 his family and friends, the passing of Richard Carl Mellen; and
6 be it further
 
7     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
8 presented to the family of Richard Mellen as a symbol of our
9 sincere sympathy.