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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Charles Lohman Dancey of Pekin, who
4passed away on January 9, 2024; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Charles Dancey was born to Albert Duane and
6Bertha (Lohman) Dancey in Pekin on November 28, 1916; he
7earned a degree in journalism from the University of Illinois
8in 1938; during his studies, he worked as a research assistant
9in the Physiology department throughout the school year and as
10an assistant manager at the Mineral Springs Park swimming pool
11in the summer; he married Nina Evelyn Manker at Grace United
12Methodist Church in Pekin on December 10, 1944; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Between 1938 and 1941, Charles Dancey worked as a
14Pekin correspondent for the Peoria Star, a press agent for the
15State of Illinois in Springfield, and as a reporter covering
16the federal court for the Peoria Journal; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Charles Dancey joined the U.S. Marine Corps in
18February 1941, serving with tactical commands from second
19lieutenant to major in the South Pacific for two years and 11
20months; he was then stationed as director of the Combat
21Machine Gun School at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, From 1946 to 1950, Charles Dancey worked as a
2Pekin/Tazewell County correspondent for Peoria Newspapers,
3Inc. and as a newscaster for the WSIV Pekin radio station; he
4also served as a member of the Pekin City Council,
5commissioner of the police and fire departments, state
6commandant of the Marine Corps League in Illinois, and
7commander of Charlie Company, the Marine Corps Reserve Unit
8based in the Peoria area; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Charles Dancey and the Charlie Company were
10called to active duty in 1950; he joined the headquarters
11staff at the Parris Island Recruit Depot, where he was
12assigned to handle the integration of the armed forces into
13the new Defense Department and the initial racial integration;
14he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1951; after his
15reservist tour had ended, he was called to participate in a
16monthlong session at the Naval War College in 1952 and at the
17National War College in 1959; he was promoted to colonel in
181959; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Charles Dancey returned to his journalism career
20in 1952, working at the copy desk and covering the State
21legislature when it was in session; after the two Peoria
22newspapers merged into the Peoria Journal Star, he worked as
23an assistant to the publisher, the supervisor of the editorial
24and mechanical departments, and as an editor; he retired in

 

 

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11986 while being retained as a consultant and serving on the
2board of directors of the Peoria Journal Star into the 1990s;
3and
 
4    WHEREAS, Charles Dancey was a member of the Inter-American
5Press Association, also known as Sociedad Interamericana de
6Prensa, where he served as a member of the board of directors
7and the executive board, as vice-president of the Freedom of
8the Press Committee, and as chairman of the Conclusions
9Committee; he also served as a juror for the Pulitzer Prize in
10the 1970s and was a board member of the B'nai B'rith Covenant
11House, the St. Francis Free Clinic, and the Dirksen
12Congressional Research Center; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Charles Dancey was a longstanding member of Grace
14United Methodist Church in Pekin, Empire Lodge 126, and the
15Ancient Free & Accepted Masons in Pekin; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Charles Dancey was preceded in death by his wife;
17his parents; his son, Richard Dancey; his daughter-in-law,
18Tina Dancey; his grandson, Jacob Dancey; three brothers; and
19two sisters; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Charles Dancey is survived by his sons, Burt
21Dancey and Clinton (Debbie) Dancey; his daughter-in-law,
22Margaret Dancey; his grandchildren, Zedford (Kyong) Dancey,

 

 

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1Sarah Dancey, Silas (Kristen) Dancey, Rebekah Dancey, Amos
2(Mara) Dancey, Abigail (Nathaniel Williams) Dancey, Elias
3(Bethany) Dancey, Emily (Jordan) Head, and Ethan (Malissa)
4Dancey; his granddaughter-in-law, Lia Dancey; 18
5great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter;
6therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
8ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
9Charles Lohman Dancey and extend our sincere condolences to
10his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
11further
 
12    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13presented to the family of Charles Dancey as an expression of
14our deepest sympathy.