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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 Dr. William Henry Requarth of Decatur, 
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who passed away on June 2, 2008; and

 
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    WHEREAS, William Henry Requarth was born on January 23, 
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1913, in Charlotte, North Carolina, the son of Charles and 
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Amelia George Requarth; he married Nancy Charlton in August of 
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1948; he later married Connie Harper in May of 1977; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Dr. Requarth served in the United States Navy 
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during the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and helped rescue 
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sailors from the burning oil in the water; he was also the 
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first doctor to perform open heart surgery in the City of 
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Decatur; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Dr. Requarth's education includes Millikin 
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University, Decatur; University of Illinois, College of 
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Medicine, Chicago, where he received his B.S. in 1935, M.D. in 
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1938, and M.S. (Surgery) in 1940; Intern, St. Lukes Hospital, 
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Chicago from 1938 to 1939; Fellow in Surgery, University of 
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Illinois, College of Medicine from 1940 to 1941; Resident 
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Surgeon, Cook County Hospital from 1940 to 1941 and 1946 to 
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1947; Surgical Staff Appointments include Instructor in 
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Surgical Technique, Cook County Graduate School of Medicine, 
 


 






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1946; Attending Surgeon, University of Illinois Hospitals, 
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Chicago, 1946 to 1969; Associate Attending Surgeon, Cook County 
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Hospital, Chicago, Night Surgeon, 1947 to 1949; Attending 
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Surgeon, Veterans Administration Hospital, Chicago, 1946 to 
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1949; Attending Surgeon, Henrotin Hospital, Chicago, 1946 to 
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1949; and Attending Surgeon, St. Mary's and Decatur Memorial 
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Hospitals, 1949 to 1984; and

 



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    WHEREAS, His awards include the Alumni Merit Award, 
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Millikin University in 1960; Association of Commerce Merit 
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Award in 1961 (Contributions to General Aviation); Flying 
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Physicians Association Pilot of the Year in 1961 (Contributions 
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to General Aviation); Alumnus of the Year, Millikin University 
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in 1970; Distinguished Service Award, University of Illinois in 
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1972; alumnus of the Year (Medicine), University of Illinois in 
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1983; and LLD, Doctor of Humane Letters (Hon), Millikin 
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University in 1996; and he was named Outstanding Trustee and 
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Trustee Emeritus by the Decatur Public Schools Foundation in 
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2004; and
 
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    WHEREAS, His military service includes serving in the 
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United States Navy from 1941 to 1946, served to Commander (MC) 
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USNR; SUBRON 4 (Submarine Squadron Four), Pearl Harbor, T.H. 
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1941; USS Litchfield (destroyer) Pearl Harbor, T.H.; U.S. Naval 
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Air Station, Pensacola, Florida 1942 (Flight Training); 
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Aviation Staff, COMNAVEU (Commander, US Naval Forces in Europe) 
 


 






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American Embassy, London, England 1943; USS Cabot (aircraft 
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carrier) 1943 to 1944; Naval Air Experimental Station, 
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Commanding Officer, Aeromedical 
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Research Facility from 1944 to 1945; Great Lakes Naval 
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Hospital, Great Lakes, Attending Surgeon, Plastic Surgery from 
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1945 to 1946; his legacy will include the Dr. William Requarth 
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Surgery Pavilion Wing and the Dr. William Requarth Astronomy 
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Observatory Tower, Millikin University Science Building; and

 
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    WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his parents; 
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brother-in-law, Elbert S. Smith; and mother and father-in-law, 
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Jean M. and Raymond R. Harper; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Surviving are his wife, Connie Requarth; his first 
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wife, Nancy Charlton Sedgwick; his children, Kurt Requarth, 
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Betsy (Dr. Robert) Risner, Jeff (Justine) Requarth, Jan 
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Requarth, Timothy Requarth, and Suzy Requarth and partner Sarah 
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Roper; his grandchildren, Matthew Talbert (Deana) and Quinn 
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May; his four great-grandchildren; his sister and lifelong 
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friend, Pauline R. Smith and her children, Mary Jane Hamilton 
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and William B. Smith; his sisters and brothers-in-law, Michael 
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(Raquel) Harper, Anne  (Larry) Jurgens, Russell (Karen) Harper, 
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Patrick (Deb) Harper, Carol (Robin Fuchs) Harper, and Edward 
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(Dawn) Harper; and his many nieces and nephews; therefore, be 
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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, friends, colleagues, and those whose lives he 
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touched, the passing of Dr. William Requarth; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the family of Dr. William Requarth as a symbol of 
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our sincere condolences.