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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of former
4Illinois Congressman Robert T. "Bobby" Schilling, who passed
5away on April 6, 2021 surrounded by his wife, Christie, and his
610 children and 14 grandchildren; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Bobby Schilling was born on January 23, 1964, the
8fourth of five children born to Francis and Patricia (Kilgore)
9Schilling; he was raised on the west end of Rock Island; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Bobby Schilling graduated from Alleman High
11School, where he played football and was named homecoming
12king; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Coming from a poor neighborhood and never
14attaining a college degree, Bobby Schilling never let hurdles
15of any size stand in his way; he worked at MacMillan Bloedel
16Container Corporation of America, where he served as a union
17steward in the International Paperworkers Union; he become an
18insurance agent and financial planner for Prudential
19Insurance, where he ranked 525 out of 10,000 agents and served
20as the treasurer of his local United Food and Commercial
21Workers Union; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, In 1996, Bobby Schilling became an entrepreneur
2and started St. Giuseppe's Heavenly Pizza with his family; 25
3years later, the family is preparing to open their fourth
4location; and
 
5    WHEREAS, In 2009, Bobby Schilling decided to make a bid
6for U.S. Congress in Illinois' 17th District, which had been
7held by Democrats for nearly 30 years; despite the long-shot
8odds, he was successful in his campaign, defeating incumbent
9Congressman Phil Hare by more than 10 points; and
 
10    WHEREAS, As a member of the U.S. Congress, Bobby Schilling
11was willing to work across the aisle to meet the needs of his
12district; he prioritized the rebuilding of the I-74 bridge,
13worked with Democratic colleagues to secure key provisions to
14help the Rock Island Arsenal in the National Defense
15Authorization Act, and prioritized veterans by introducing
16legislation that expanded their health care access by allowing
17them to get care from any hospital in America and not just from
18the VA clinics; more than anything, he loved the pre-born; he
19believed that every life has the potential to change the
20world, and he supported every piece of pro-life legislation he
21could; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Bobby Schilling was deeply committed to his
23Catholic faith; throughout his battle with cancer, he remained

 

 

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1grateful for the life he was given; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Bobby Schilling loved his family and dedicated
3his life to them; he was not concerned about a successful
4career as much as he was about providing for his large and
5growing family; he showed love for his family through his work
6and sacrifice; he enjoyed addressing challenges and proving
7his doubters wrong; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Bobby Schilling loved America, a nation where a
9poor kid from Rock Island could have a successful marriage of
1035 years and 10 children, own several restaurants, build two
11houses, and serve as a member of Congress; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Bobby Schilling was preceded in death by his
13parents; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Bobby Schilling is survived by his wife,
15Christie; his children, Terry (Katie), Aaron (Kiki), Levi
16(Amanda), Joe (Ashley), Isabel (Austin Ryan), Rachel (Kidd
17Causemaker), Olivia, Sam, Sophia, and Tony; his grandchildren,
18Grace, Reagan, Bobby, Max, Peter, Gianna, TJ, Daniel, Evelyn,
19Julia, Hank, Edward, Gus, Ruth, and three on the way; and his
20siblings, Richard, Michael, Dawn, and William; therefore, be
21it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
2HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
3we mourn the passing of former Illinois Congressman Robert T.
4"Bobby" Schilling and extend our sincere condolences to his
5family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
6further
 
7    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
8presented to the family of Bobby Schilling as an expression of
9our deepest sympathy.