HR0923 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0923 LRB099 16217 MST 40546 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Larry Allen Douglas of Massac County, who passed away on December 17, 2015; and

WHEREAS, Larry Douglas was born to Kenneth Raphael and Mabel Pearl Marlman Douglas; he graduated from Century High School in 1964, where he played basketball; he received his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics from Southern Illinois University in 1968, and later, studied for a master's degree in agricultural economics; he married Diana Chambers on June 23, 1968 at First United Methodist Church in Metropolis; and

WHEREAS, Larry Douglas served in the United States Air Force from April of 1969 to September of 1972; after basic training at Lackland Air Force Base and training in radiology at Shepherd Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, he was stationed at Scott Air Force Base near Belleville, where he assisted in the treatment of soldiers injured during the Vietnam War; and

WHEREAS, After his discharge from the Air Force, Larry Douglas served as the Executive Secretary of the Massac County Farm Bureau from 1973 to 1976; since 1975, he owned and operated a farm in the New Columbia area; he also worked at the Southern Illinois Power Cooperative and was a proud International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 702 member for 29 years, before retiring in 2008; since retiring, he worked as a reporter for Bristol Broadcasting in Paducah, Kentucky, as a site tech at Fort Massac State Park, and as the Director of Massac County Emergency Management from 2010 to 2013; and

WHEREAS, When Larry Douglas settled in Massac County in 1973, he became active in the local Democratic Party and served for several years as the County Chairman; during his time with the party, a Democratic presidential candidate, Jimmy Carter, carried Massac County for the first time since before the Civil War; President Bill Clinton also twice carried the county; he loved to recall political and family stories and would often recall one of the first times he and his daughter met President Barack Obama at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield in 2003; and

WHEREAS, Larry Douglas was committed to public service; he served on the Massac-Metropolis Port District Board since 2009 and the Southern Illinois Electric Cooperative board since 2010; he was a former member of the Illinois State Historical Society board and the Illinois Citizens Utility Board; he was also a member of the Massac County Historical Society, the Metropolis Kiwanis Club, and the Metropolis American Legion; and

WHEREAS, Larry Douglas was a member of Zion United Church of Christ, where he served in several roles, including being a member of the church council, the fundraising committee, and the sound system committee; and

WHEREAS, Larry Douglas is survived by his wife of over 47 years, Diana; his sons, Stephen Marlman Douglas and Cory Justin Douglas; his daughter, Tracy Diana Douglas; his granddaughter, Cassandra Leigh Douglas; his 2 sisters, Marlene Loesekam and Ellen (Jim) Wood; his brother, Charles (Sheila) Douglas; his sister-in-law, Georgia Carol Douglas; and several Douglas and Chambers nephews and nieces and cousins; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Larry Allen Douglas, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Larry Douglas as an expression of our deepest sympathy.