SR0666

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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
Leon Finney Sr. of Chicago, who passed 
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away on April 4, 2008; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Leon Finney Sr. was born in Mississippi; he was 
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the son of entrepreneur T.J. Huddleston; he moved to Chicago 
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around 1938, hoping to join the military; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Leon Finney Sr. was the founder and owner of the 
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Leon's Bar-B-Q chain; he founded the business in 1941, after 
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the police broke up a bookie joint in the basement of a 
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barbecue shop on Garfield Boulevard in Chicago; after the raid, 
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the owner offered to sell the barbecue restaurant for $700, the 
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price of the refrigerator; after his father wired him the 
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money, he opened Leon's Bar-B-Q, which has since become a 
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staple of Chicago's culinary history and is frequently on food 
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critic lists for the best ribs in Chicago; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Leon Finney Sr. kept Leon's Bar-B-Q open 
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continuously since 1941, except for a break in the 1950s when 
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meat prices were too high; his late wife, Adeline, helped run 
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the restaurants; he was active in running his restaurants until 
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his health began to decline in 2002; and

 
 


 






SR0666
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LRB095 20756 GRL 49282 r




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    WHEREAS, Leon Finney Sr. was an active advocate of 
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African-American business and community organizations, helping 
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numerous African-Americans create many businesses in the City 
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of Chicago and beyond; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Leon Finney Sr. is survived by his six children, 
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Rev. Leon Finney Jr.,  Gwendlyn Woods, Michael, Michelle, Andre, 
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and Zenobia Rene; and his nine grandchildren; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Leon Finney Sr. will be remembered by all who knew 
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and loved him for his dedication to his profession and his 
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willingness to help his fellow entrepreneurs; 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 Leon Finney Sr.; and be 
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it further

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