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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives are | ||||||
3 | saddened to learn of the
death of Peoria icon, Harold A. "Pete" | ||||||
4 | Vonachen, on June 10, 2013; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Pete was born on August 31, 1925, in Peoria, to | ||||||
6 | Dr. Harold A. and
Bernice (Verner) Vonachen; he served in the | ||||||
7 | U.S. Navy during World War II; he returned home and
attended | ||||||
8 | Bradley University, graduating in 1949; and he married Donna J. | ||||||
9 | Hurst on May 11, 1957, in Peoria; and | ||||||
10 | WHEREAS, In 1955, Pete opened Vonachen's Junction | ||||||
11 | restaurant, whose iconic railroad cars,
great food, and owner's | ||||||
12 | larger-than-life personality drew patrons from throughout the | ||||||
13 | State;
he sold the restaurant in 1970 and became president of | ||||||
14 | Peoria Blacktop, Inc.; and | ||||||
15 | WHEREAS, Pete rescued professional baseball in Peoria when | ||||||
16 | he purchased the Peoria Suns in
1983; his commitment to family | ||||||
17 | entertainment led to many highly successful Peoria Chiefs
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18 | teams, alternating with Cardinals' and Cubs' affiliations; | ||||||
19 | past and future Hall of Fame players
have played in now, Dozer | ||||||
20 | Park, one of the nation's finest Class A stadiums; and | ||||||
21 | WHEREAS, Over his lifetime Pete served as commodore for the |
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1 | Illinois Valley Yacht and Canoe
Club, president of the Peoria | ||||||
2 | Pacers College Baseball Team, director of the Greater Peoria | ||||||
3 | Sports Hall of
Fame, director of the Peoria Cerebral Palsy | ||||||
4 | Board, and member of the St. Thomas Parochial School Board; he | ||||||
5 | was president
of the advisory board for OSF St. Francis Medical | ||||||
6 | Center, vice-president and a trustee for the Peoria Park
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7 | District, chairman of the City of Peoria Liquor Commission, a | ||||||
8 | member of the Bradley University Chiefs Club,
president of | ||||||
9 | Peoria Mobile Medic Ambulance Co., and a member of the board of | ||||||
10 | trustees for Bradley University;
he also served as chairman for | ||||||
11 | the Salvation Army Tree of Lights and as honorary chairman of | ||||||
12 | the Children's Miracle Network
Telethon at the Children's | ||||||
13 | Hospital of Illinois; and | ||||||
14 | WHEREAS, Pete was awarded the Neve Harms Meritorious | ||||||
15 | Service Sports Award in 1979, the Bradley University | ||||||
16 | Distinguished Alumni Award in
1985, the Sporting News | ||||||
17 | Professional Baseball Class A Minor League Executive of the | ||||||
18 | Year in
1985, the Tri-County Sports Figure of the Year in 1985, | ||||||
19 | the Bradley University Centurion in 1986, the
University of | ||||||
20 | Notre Dame Man of the Year in 1988, the
Caterpillar Community | ||||||
21 | Service Award, the Salvation Army Other Award in 1991, the | ||||||
22 | Lewis Burger
Outstanding Volunteer Fundraising Award in 1992, | ||||||
23 | the National Society of Fundraising Executives
Philanthropy | ||||||
24 | Award in 1992, the Robert H. Michel
Lifetime Achievement Award | ||||||
25 | in 2002, the Ambassador of Baseball-State of Illinois Chicago |
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1 | Pitch
and Hit Club Award in 2005, and the Lions Club | ||||||
2 | Outstanding Achievement Award for JJ Anderson
Basketball Camp | ||||||
3 | in 2009; he was inducted into the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of | ||||||
4 | Fame in 1979, the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame 1988, and | ||||||
5 | the Bradley University Sports Hall of Fame in 1994; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Pete met his best friend, Harry Caray, while | ||||||
7 | managing concessions at Bradley
University Fieldhouse in 1950; | ||||||
8 | the Hall of Fame broadcaster would routinely call out to "my
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9 | good friend, Pete Vonachen, in Peoria" during Cubs games; his | ||||||
10 | 1998 eulogy for Harry was
celebrated nationally for its humor | ||||||
11 | and its humanity; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Pete was cherished far and wide for his | ||||||
13 | extraordinary sense of humor, friendships
with those he | ||||||
14 | encountered from all walks of life, and his love for baseball; | ||||||
15 | and
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16 | WHEREAS, Pete was preceded in death by his wife, Donna; his | ||||||
17 | parents; his
brothers, Jack and Tom; and his sisters, Mary Ann, | ||||||
18 | Bobbie, and Marta; and
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19 | WHEREAS, Pete is survived by his daughter, Mary "Mikie" | ||||||
20 | Shadid; his sons, Rocky, Greg (Kathy), Dan
(Jennifer), and Mark | ||||||
21 | (Amy); his sister, Susie (Jim) Dawson; his
grandchildren, Megan | ||||||
22 | Vonachen, Lauren Shadid, Abby Vonachen, Erica Vonachen, Claire
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1 | Vonachen, Michelle Vonachen, Druschel Vonachen, Jabe Vonachen, | ||||||
2 | Natalie Vonachen, and Jac
Vonachen; therefore, be it
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3 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
4 | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
5 | we mourn the passing of Harold A. "Pete" Vonachen and extend | ||||||
6 | our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who | ||||||
7 | knew and loved him; and be it further
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8 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
9 | presented to the family of Pete Vonachen
as an expression of | ||||||
10 | our deepest sympathy.
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