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SR0595 |
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LRB096 19608 KXB 35002 r |
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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 Chicago Sun-Times columnist Bill Gleason, |
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| who passed away on January 3, 2010; and
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| WHEREAS, Bill Gleason was born and raised in Chicago's |
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| South Side by his parents, Joseph Gleason and Helen O'Brien |
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| Gleason; he attended Parker High School, now Paul Robeson High |
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| School; he served in the United States Army in France during |
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| World War II, receiving a Silver Star on his 22nd birthday in |
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| 1944; and
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| WHEREAS, In 1975, Mr. Gleason helped create a Sunday |
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| afternoon radio sports talk show called "The Sports Writers"; |
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| in 1985, the show expanded to become the nationally syndicated |
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| television program "The Sports Writers on TV" and ran until |
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| 1997; and
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| WHEREAS, His sportswriting career started when he was in |
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| grammar school; his sister recalled that "he would listen to a |
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| radio broadcast of a college game from beginning to end, then |
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| go into his room, pick up a composition book and write his |
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| personal report of the entire game,"; at the age of 19, Mr. |
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| Gleason became sports editor of the then-Southtown Economist;
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| Mr. Gleason's long journalism career also included stints at |
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SR0595 |
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LRB096 19608 KXB 35002 r |
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| the now-defunct Chicago American, South Bend Tribune in |
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| Indiana, and the Daily Southtown; and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. Gleason wrote three books: Footsteps of a |
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| Giant, The Liquid Cross of Skid Row, and Daley of Chicago;
Mr. |
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| Gleason officially retired in 2001 but continued to speak at |
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| various engagements; and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. Gleason's most significant charitable |
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| involvement included working with Misericordia Heart of Mercy, |
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| Maryville Academy, and Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities; he |
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| was one of the founders of the Red Cloud Athletic Fund; and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. Gleason is survived by his wife, Mary Ellen |
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| Gleason; his two sisters, Bette Conroy and Helen Dunne; his two |
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| brothers, Joe and Bernie Gleason; his five children, Terence, |
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| Kevin, Martin, Amy, and Jeanine Ranzen; and his nine |
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| grandchildren; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL |
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| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with |
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| his family, friends, and loyal listeners and readers, the |
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| passing of Bill Gleason; 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 Bill Gleason as a symbol of our |