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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 former | ||||||
4 | United States Representative Kenneth J. Gray, who passed away | ||||||
5 | on July 12, 2014; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Representative Gray was born on November 14, 1924 | ||||||
7 | in West Frankfort to Thomas and Anna (Reed) Gray; he graduated | ||||||
8 | from Frankfort High School, and served in the United States Air | ||||||
9 | Force during World War II; he married Gwendolyn June Gray and | ||||||
10 | she preceded him in passing; he later married Margaret "Toedy" | ||||||
11 | Holley-Gray; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Representative Gray was first elected to Congress | ||||||
13 | in 1954 and served 10 terms, retiring in 1974; he returned to | ||||||
14 | Congress in 1984 and served 2 additional terms; he was known | ||||||
15 | for bringing federal projects to his depressed district, | ||||||
16 | including a federal prison, an interstate highway, post | ||||||
17 | offices, and hospitals; he helped write the Interstate Highway | ||||||
18 | Act that President Eisenhower signed in 1956, and, in 2008, a | ||||||
19 | portion of Interstate 57 in Southern Illinois was named the | ||||||
20 | "Ken Gray Expressway"; Gray brought 7 presidents to Southern | ||||||
21 | Illinois; he earned the nickname the "Prince of Pork" for | ||||||
22 | bringing $7 billion in projects to his district; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Representative Gray attended the Christian | ||||||
2 | Worship Center in West Frankfort; and
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3 | WHEREAS, Representative Gray was preceded in death by his | ||||||
4 | parents; his first wife, Gwendolyn June Gray; a son, James K. | ||||||
5 | Gray; daughter, Marble Joiner; two brothers, Ralph and Paul | ||||||
6 | Gray; and a son-in-law, Bill Clay; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Representative Gray is survived by his wife, | ||||||
8 | Margaret "Toedy" Holley-Gray; daughters, Diann (Mike) | ||||||
9 | Jasinski, Becky Gray Clay, and Candy McKeithen; grandchildren, | ||||||
10 | Linsey Karroll, Lulu Lehmann, Max Gray, Lauren (Markus) | ||||||
11 | Herrmann, Jamie (Elizabeth) Hall, Allison Hall, Joy Jasinski, | ||||||
12 | Major McKeithen, Josh (Amber) Joiner, and Holley (Kyle) Hosick; | ||||||
13 | great-grandchildren, Joshua Hall, Wesley Joiner, and Lyric | ||||||
14 | Hosick; son-in-law, Jerry Joiner; and several nieces, nephews, | ||||||
15 | and cousins; therefore, be it
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16 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
17 | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
18 | we mourn the passing of former United States Representative | ||||||
19 | Kenneth J. Gray, and extend our sincere condolences to his | ||||||
20 | family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | ||||||
21 | further
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22 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
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1 | presented to the family of Representative Gray as an expression | ||||||
2 | of our deepest sympathy.
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