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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 passing of Walter | ||||||
| 4 | William Pierce, better known to White Sox fans and all who love | ||||||
| 5 | baseball as Billy Pierce; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Billy Pierce's 18-year career in Major League | ||||||
| 7 | baseball is best known for his 13 years as a pitcher for the | ||||||
| 8 | Chicago White Sox; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Billy Pierce was a 7-time All Star with the White | ||||||
| 10 | Sox, including seasons in which he led the American League in | ||||||
| 11 | complete games, wins, earned run average, and strikeouts; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, The White Sox paid tribute to Billy Pierce in | ||||||
| 13 | 1987, retiring his number 19 in recognition of his | ||||||
| 14 | accomplishments; and
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| 15 | WHEREAS, Billy Pierce and his wife Gloria settled in | ||||||
| 16 | Evergreen Park in 1962, where they raised their 3 children, | ||||||
| 17 | William, Patricia, and Robert; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, Billy Pierce was also committed to the fight | ||||||
| 19 | against cancer, serving as a committee member of Chicago | ||||||
| 20 | Baseball Cancer Charities for 46 years and acting as president | ||||||
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| 1 | of the group for 20 years following the death of teammate | ||||||
| 2 | Nellie Fox; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Billy Pierce was an active member of his | ||||||
| 4 | community, making frequent public appearances in the Chicago | ||||||
| 5 | area on behalf of the White Sox and earning the distinction of | ||||||
| 6 | 33rd Degree Mason at his Evergreen Park Lodge; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Billy Pierce passed away on July 31, 2015 at the | ||||||
| 8 | age of 88 after a battle with gallbladder cancer; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Billy Pierce will be remembered throughout the | ||||||
| 10 | community he loved as a steadfast ambassador of the game of | ||||||
| 11 | baseball and a committed humanitarian; therefore, be it
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| 12 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 13 | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 14 | we, along with his family and friends, honor and mourn the | ||||||
| 15 | passing of Walter William "Billy" Pierce; and be it further
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| 16 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 17 | presented to the family of Walter William "Billy" Pierce as a | ||||||
| 18 | symbol of our deep appreciation of his service to his country | ||||||
| 19 | and his community.
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