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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Leo A. Klier, a Naperville resident since 1968,
3 passed away June 4, 2005; and
 
4     WHEREAS, He was born March 30, 1923, in Washington,
5 Indiana; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Mr. Klier was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II,
7 serving honorably in the South Pacific, and a 1946 graduate of
8 Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana, where he was a
9 two-time, first team consensus all-American basketball player;
10 he set the single-season scoring record for Notre Dame in
11 1943-44; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Following his record-setting season, he was
13 called to duty and spent a year in the Navy before returning to
14 Notre Dame for his senior year; affectionately referred to as
15 "The Comeback Kid", he once again broke the team's
16 single-season scoring record and was named to the all-American
17 team for a second time; in 1946, he played on the college
18 all-star team that beat the NBL champions at the old Chicago
19 Stadium before a record crowd; and
 
20     WHEREAS, He was one of the first of his era to use the
21 one-handed set shot and was lauded for his ability to make a
22 running hook shot with either hand; he was recently voted a
23 member of the Notre Dame All-Century Team as one of the top 25
24 players in the 100-year basketball history of the school; and
 
25     WHEREAS, He went on to play professional basketball in the
26 NBL (now known as the NBA) with the Indianapolis Kautskys (now
27 the Indiana Pacers), where he was named to the All Rookie team
28 in his first year; he was a member of the Kautskys team that
29 won the all-world tournament in 1947, the first NBL world
30 championship; he also later played for the Fort Wayne Zollner

 

 

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1 Pistons (now the Detroit Pistons) and the Anderson Packers for
2 five years; legendary coach of the University of Kentucky,
3 Adolph Rupp, gave him the nickname "Crystal" - if Leo Klier was
4 in the game, the outcome was "crystal clear"; Leo Klier was
5 inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977; and
 
6     WHEREAS, He was a longtime member of St. Raphael Church in
7 Naperville and a 21-year member of the choir; he dedicated his
8 life to his wife and nine children - they were always first
9 with him; he was a humble man reluctant to acknowledge the many
10 honors and awards bestowed upon him; he was a coach and team
11 player in every way, literally and figuratively, and ultimately
12 a man of impeccable integrity; and
 
13     WHEREAS, In 1952, he joined Amoco Oil Company as a
14 salesman; during his 27-year career with Amoco, he was in
15 management and training until he retired in 1979; he
16 subsequently went into business for himself and owned a service
17 station and car wash in Evergreen Park; and
 
18     WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his parents, George
19 and Pearl Klier, and his eight siblings; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The passing of Leo A. Klier is felt by all who
21 knew and loved him, especially his wife of 59 years, Nancy (nee
22 Maynard) Klier, whom he married on May 18, 1946; his children,
23 Peggy (Jerry) DePersia, Marianne Klier, Michael Klier, Janet
24 (Robert) Gihle, Martha (James) Betts, Kevin (Judy) Klier, Carol
25 (Fred) Roth, Daniel (Linnea) Klier, and Timothy (Mindy) Klier;
26 his 21 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; and his many
27 nieces and nephews; therefore, be it
 
28     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL
29 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
30 Leo A. Klier and extend our sincerest condolences to his
31 family, friends, and community; and be it further
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2 presented to his family as an expression of our deepest
3 sympathy.