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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The institution of marriage is one of the
3 cornerstones upon which our society is built, and a marriage
4 that has achieved a notable longevity is truly a model for the
5 people of the State of Illinois; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
7 Representatives are pleased to congratulate George and Demetra
8 Futris on the occasion of their 60th wedding anniversary; and
 
9     WHEREAS, George C. Futris was born July 4, 1921 in Evanston
10 to Greek immigrants, Constantine and Valsamo Futris; Demetra
11 Psyhogios, the daughter of Greek immigrants Peter and Petrula
12 Psyhogios, was born on March 20, 1922 in Chicago; and
 
13     WHEREAS, George Futris attended Marshall High School on
14 Chicago's west side; he worked as a milkman at Mid-City Dairy;
15 during the Second World War, he served in the Army Air Corps as
16 a sergeant in the 310th Airdrome Squad Training Command in the
17 China-Burma-India theater; he returned home on January 5, 1946;
18 and
 
19     WHEREAS, Demetra Futris graduated from Lucy Flower High
20 School and Wright Junior College in Chicago; during the Second
21 World War, she managed a pool of 100 secretaries for the

 

 

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1 Insurance Division of the United States Army; and
 
2     WHEREAS, George and Demetra Futris met in the spring of
3 1946 at the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago's
4 Austin neighborhood, where they enjoyed each other's company at
5 a variety of young adult activities sponsored by the church; on
6 Christmas Eve of 1946, George waited for Demetra on the steps
7 of the church to give her a gift; before he could give it to
8 her, he asked for a penny because the brooch and matching
9 earrings had sharp points; it was then that George asked
10 Demetra to go on their first official date; on that first date,
11 on January 4, 1947, George proposed and Demetra accepted; they
12 were married on September 21, 1947 at the Assumption Church in
13 Chicago, surrounded by family and friends; and
 
14     WHEREAS, George and Demetra Futris have been retired since
15 1990; after his return from the U.S. Army, George went back to
16 work at Mid-City Dairy until 1962, when he bought a diner at
17 5840 W. Roosevelt Road in Chicago; Big George's became a
18 neighborhood institution and was well known for its chili,
19 which was named one of the top five in the Chicago area in Pat
20 Bruno's Best of Chicago book and in Bruno's and other food
21 critics' columns over many years; George and Demetra sold the
22 business and their home and retired to an active adult
23 community in Plainfield in 1990; they still reside in their
24 Plainfield home; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, During their 60 years of marriage, George and
2 Demetra Futris have had three children; the oldest, Valerie
3 Christine, has been married to Dean A. Dranias for 37 years and
4 has one son, Patrick Terrance, and a grandson, Skyler; their
5 second child, Dean George, has been married to Denise Kanton
6 for almost 34 years and has three children, Lauren, Logan Dean,
7 and Dana; their youngest child, Peter George, has been married
8 to Marcey Donlan for 22 years and has two daughters, Ashley Ann
9 and Katie Rose; and
 
10     WHEREAS, George and Demetra Futris will celebrate this
11 auspicious anniversary with their family and close friends at a
12 luncheon on August 12, 2007; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The respect for marriage reaches one of its
14 highest plateaus when a couple such as George and Demetra
15 celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary; George and
16 Demetra stand as examples of the best of our society, and their
17 love and devotion to each other and to their family and friends
18 serve as a reminder to all that hard work, dedication, and love
19 can make a difference in today's world; therefore, be it
 
20     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
21 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
22 congratulate George and Demetra Futris on the occasion of their

 

 

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1 sixtieth wedding anniversary; that we commend them for
2 achieving a long and happy marriage, blessed with children,
3 grandchildren, and rich in friendships; and that we wish them
4 happiness and good health in the future; and be it further
 
5     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6 presented to George and Demetra Futris as a symbol of our
7 esteem and respect.