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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Jerry B. | ||||||
4 | Symons of Jacksonville, former owner of WLDS-WEAI radio | ||||||
5 | stations, who passed away on March 11, 2013; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Jerry Symons was born on August 17, 1942, in | ||||||
7 | Jacksonville to James Lyndall and Pauline Barton Symons; he | ||||||
8 | graduated in 1960 from Jacksonville High School, where he was | ||||||
9 | class president, and from Illinois College in 1964, where he | ||||||
10 | was a member and past president of Sigma Pi; he married Sharon | ||||||
11 | Baker on August 28, 1964, at Central Christian Church in | ||||||
12 | Jacksonville; he joined the Air National Guard in 1966 and | ||||||
13 | attended Officer's Candidate School with the U.S. Air Force in | ||||||
14 | San Antonio, Texas, where he achieved the rank of Second | ||||||
15 | Lieutenant in 1967; he served as a member of the Illinois Air | ||||||
16 | National Guard (183rd Tactical Fighter Group) for almost 25 | ||||||
17 | years, retiring in December of 1990 with the rank of Lt. | ||||||
18 | Colonel; and
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19 | WHEREAS, Jerry Symons began his radio career in 1961 while | ||||||
20 | a student at Illinois College; he spent the next 51 years | ||||||
21 | working for WLDS/WEAI Radio; he was a deejay from 1961-1964, | ||||||
22 | news director from 1964-1981, and station manager from | ||||||
23 | 1981-1989; in 1989, he formed Jerdon Broadcasting with his |
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1 | friend and partner, Don Hamilton, to purchase the stations; he | ||||||
2 | served as co-owner and general manager until the stations were | ||||||
3 | sold in July of 2008; he continued to serve as consultant and | ||||||
4 | sports director, a position he has held since 1964; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Jerry Symons was a dedicated volunteer and devoted | ||||||
6 | hours to the betterment of his community; he took part in | ||||||
7 | special projects and speaking engagements at schools and other | ||||||
8 | organizations, chaired a mayoral advisory committee that | ||||||
9 | resulted in the creation of Community Park and the Jacksonville | ||||||
10 | Area Chamber of Commerce office, and co-chaired a successful | ||||||
11 | campaign to achieve Home Rule status for the City of | ||||||
12 | Jacksonville; in addition, he was a member and past president | ||||||
13 | of the Jacksonville Kiwanis Club, where he was named | ||||||
14 | Distinguished Kiwanian in 2002 and a Hixson Fellow in 2005, a | ||||||
15 | former director and past president of Passavant Hospital, a | ||||||
16 | former trustee for Illinois College, a former chairman of the | ||||||
17 | West Central Illinois All-Star Basketball Classic, a former | ||||||
18 | founding member of the Morgan County Sheriff's Merit | ||||||
19 | Commission, a past president of the Committee for the | ||||||
20 | Advancement of Higher Education, and a former director of the | ||||||
21 | Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce; and
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22 | WHEREAS, Jerry Symons was a life-long member of Central | ||||||
23 | Christian Church, where he served as chairman of the General | ||||||
24 | Board, Deacon, Elder, and treasurer of the Board of Trustees; |
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1 | he was a devotee of youth baseball and coached Elks Youth | ||||||
2 | Baseball and Pony-Colt League Baseball for many years, where he | ||||||
3 | was recognized for 17 years of service as the Pony-Colt League | ||||||
4 | treasurer; he most recently served on the Jacksonville Public | ||||||
5 | School Foundation Board of Directors, the Jacksonville Sports | ||||||
6 | Hall of Fame Committee, and the Jacksonville Regional Economic | ||||||
7 | Development Council; and | ||||||
8 | WHEREAS, Jerry Symons, known to the community as the voice | ||||||
9 | of the Jacksonville Crimsons, was named to the Jacksonville | ||||||
10 | High School Hall of Fame and the Illinois Basketball Coaches | ||||||
11 | Association Hall of Fame; he was twice awarded the | ||||||
12 | Distinguished Service Award from the Illinois High School | ||||||
13 | Association and received the Silver Dome Award for | ||||||
14 | Sportscasting from the Illinois Broadcasters Association; he | ||||||
15 | was also the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award at | ||||||
16 | Illinois College and the Friend of Education Award from the | ||||||
17 | Jacksonville Education Association; and | ||||||
18 | WHEREAS, Jerry Symons was preceded in death by his parents; | ||||||
19 | his aunt, Martha Symons; and his mother-in-law, Mary Baker; and
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20 | WHEREAS, Jerry Symons is survived by his wife, Sharon; his | ||||||
21 | daughter, Amy Jackson (Edward); his son, Stephen Symons | ||||||
22 | (Cammie); his grandchildren, Molly, Grace and Ben Jackson, and | ||||||
23 | Amelia and Cody Symons; his siblings, James Symons (Judy), |
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1 | Andrew Symons (Linda), Jennifer Symons, and Alan Symons | ||||||
2 | (Valerie); his several nieces and nephews; and his | ||||||
3 | sister-in-law, Julie Watanabe (Brent); therefore, be it
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4 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
5 | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
6 | we mourn the passing of Jerry Symons, and we extend our sincere | ||||||
7 | condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved | ||||||
8 | him; and be it further
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9 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
10 | presented to the family of Jerry Symons as an expression of our | ||||||
11 | deepest sympathy.
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