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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to 
3learn of the death of Gene Vanderport of Champaign and 
4Danville, who passed away on June 28, 2016, at the age of 66; 
5and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, Gene Vanderport graduated from the University of 
7Illinois with a degree in political science; and
  
 
8    WHEREAS, Gene Vanderport joined his first union at the age 
9of 15 while playing rock and roll; he was a card-carrying

10"professional revolutionary" and  spent his entire career 
11working for labor unions on local and national levels; he was a 
12member of  the American Federation of Musicians Local 90; and
  
 
13    WHEREAS, In the mid 1980s,  Gene Vanderport moved from the 
14Veterans Administration in Danville, where he was the local 
15President, to being the national
director of American 
16Federation of Government Employees in Washington, D.C.; in the 
171990s, he returned to
Danville and joined the Illinois 
18Education Association; he was coordinator of the Living Wage 
19Association of Champaign and was successful in
getting living 
20wage policies adopted in the City of Urbana and Champaign 
21County; he and his wife, Germaine Light, were very
active in 
22the Central Illinois Jobs with Justice Coalition; and
  
 
  
 
 
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1    WHEREAS, Gene Vanderport's most prized possession was the 
2family land near the Vermilion River, east of Danville, and the 
3family cemetery across the
river; therefore, be it
  
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL 
5ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of 
6Gene Vanderport, and extend our sincere condolences to his 
7family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it 
8further
  
 
9    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
10presented to  the family of  Gene Vanderport as an expression of 
11our deepest sympathy.