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| | HR0639 | | LRB099 13043 MST 36920 r |
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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 Gerald J. |
| 4 | | "Jerry" Roper, who passed away on June 28, 2015; and
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| 5 | | WHEREAS, Jerry Roper was born in Pittsburgh, |
| 6 | | Pennsylvania's blue-collar Spring Garden neighborhood, the son
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| 7 | | of John and Jessie Roper; after serving his country in the |
| 8 | | United States Army, he worked his
way up in the hospitality |
| 9 | | industry; and
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| 10 | | WHEREAS, Jerry Roper served in a variety of different roles |
| 11 | | in hospitality administration,
including, marketing director |
| 12 | | for Holiday Inns and for Sheraton hotels; a director of trade
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| 13 | | shows for the National Restaurant Association; President of the |
| 14 | | Rosemont O'Hare
Convention and Visitors Bureau, and eventually |
| 15 | | President of the Chicago Convention and
Visitors Bureau; and
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| 16 | | WHEREAS, Jerry Roper served as President of the Chicagoland |
| 17 | | Chamber of Commerce from 1993 to 2013, and
under his strong |
| 18 | | leadership, it grew to be one of the most respected and |
| 19 | | renowned
business organizations in the country, and he also |
| 20 | | lead it to a 5-star accreditation from the U.S.
Chamber of |
| 21 | | Commerce; and
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| | HR0639 | - 2 - | LRB099 13043 MST 36920 r |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Jerry Roper was extensively involved with many |
| 2 | | civic and local organizations, has
been honored with a Lifetime |
| 3 | | Achievement Award as a founding member of Chicago Gateway
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| 4 | | Green, and was honored with January 25, 2012 being named as |
| 5 | | "Jerry Roper Day" in Chicago; and
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| 6 | | WHEREAS, Jerry Roper was a true champion for the city of |
| 7 | | Chicago and for every business and
tourism initiative in the |
| 8 | | Chicago area, and he will be remembered as a vibrant and |
| 9 | | tenacious leader
with a lasting impact throughout Illinois; and
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| 10 | | WHEREAS, Jerry Roper was the heartbeat of Chicago and |
| 11 | | through his selfless energy, commitment
to innovation and new |
| 12 | | ideas, tireless work as an advocate, and courage in the face of |
| 13 | | huge
obstacles, he was the person that all strive to be; and
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| 14 | | WHEREAS, Jerry Roper is survived by his wife, Carol Buseman |
| 15 | | Roper; son, Jerry Roper, Jr.;
daughter, Tani Sison; brother, |
| 16 | | Donald Andrezjwski; and 2 grandchildren, Grace and Evan; |
| 17 | | therefore, be it
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| 18 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
| 19 | | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we |
| 20 | | mourn the passing of Gerald J. "Jerry" Roper, and extend our |
| 21 | | sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who
knew |
| 22 | | and loved him; and be it further
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