SR2191 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR2191 LRB099 23074 GRL 50525 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Theodore Bagatelas of Moline, who passed away on August 22, 2016; and

WHEREAS, Theodore Bagatelas was born on September 17, 1927, in East Moline; his parents were William and Rebecca Gounis Bagatelas; he married Pauline Strenglis in 1957 in St. Paul, Minnesota; he married Karen Sandberg in 1991 in Kauai, Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, Theodore Bagatelas graduated from United Township High School and attended the former Moline Community College; and

WHEREAS, Theodore Bagatelas was a veteran of World War II and served in the United States Navy; during the Civil War in Greece in 1947, he served as a Greek interpreter for the United States Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean and the Greek general staff; he was a member of the EM American Legion Post 227 and participated in the World War II Veterans Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, Theodore Bagatelas, along with his brother George and his sister Dorothy, grew up working in the family grocery store, where he gained the entrepreneurial spirit that guided him in other ventures over the years; he ran a snack bar out of the family's grocery store after his discharge from the United States Navy; in 1951, along with their brother-in-law, George Yokas, the trio opened their first Sportsland store in downtown East Moline; the company expanded into Moline and Davenport over the years and consisted of both the Athletic Center, which specialized in retail sporting goods and servicing school athletic departments in the Midwest, and the Family Fun Center, which sold boats, motorcycles, and pool tables; in 1972, he traveled to Hamamatsu, Japan as a guest of the Suzuki Motorcycle Company for his company's outstanding sales; and

WHEREAS, Theodore Bagatelas and his brother began their careers in real estate with the development and purchase of various apartment projects in the area; in 1970, they completed the construction of the 12-story luxury high rise Summit Ridge Condominiums on the bluff above downtown East Moline; in his later years, he was president of Imperial Home Builders, Ltd.; in 1981, he successfully opened his first Gulliver's Travel store in SouthPark Mall; today, there are Gulliver's agencies in Illinois, Iowa, and Tennessee; and

WHEREAS, Theodore Bagatelas served as president of St. George Greek Orthodox Church from 1969 to 1971, when Interstate 74 construction in downtown Moline forced the church to move; he led the development of the congregation's present house of worship in Rock Island and spearheaded the fundraising; he was a member of the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church and served on both parish councils; he was also one of the original organizers of the Greek Cultural Festival in downtown Moline; and

WHEREAS, Theodore Bagatelas enjoyed traveling, dancing, and socializing with his wife, jogging, watching the Illini, politics, and spending time with his cats, Cracker and Maggie; and

WHEREAS, Theodore Bagatelas was preceded in death by his parents; his brother; his sister; and his brother-in-law; and

WHEREAS, Theodore Bagatelas is survived by his wife, Karen; his sons, William Bagatelas, Todd (Cyndi) Bagatelas, and Paul (Christine) Bagatelas; his grandchildren, Olivia, Elena, Pauline, Nicolas, and Emilie; his stepchildren, Kelly Sandberg and Rick Sandberg; and his step-grandchildren, Todd, Austin, and Jonathon Wadkins; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his family and friends, mourn the passing of Theodore Bagatelas; and be it further

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