SR0754 LRB095 21668 GRL 51870 r

1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of William Thomas Eichenauer of Decatur, who
4 passed away on June 1, 2008; and
 
5     WHEREAS, William Eichenauer was born on August 6, 1929 in
6 Decatur; he was the son of Harold Lyn and Marianna (Rucker)
7 Eichenauer; he married Nancy Lee Fisher on August 8, 1953 in
8 Port Washington, New York; and
 
9     WHEREAS, William Eichenauer was a life-long resident of
10 Decatur; he graduated with the Class of 1947 at Decatur High
11 School and received his bachelor's degree in Engineering
12 Administration from Millikin University in 1951; and
 
13     WHEREAS, William Eichenauer served in the United States
14 Army from 1951 until 1953, performing tests and experimental
15 work on radar in conjunction with Army Field Forces Board IV
16 Sperry Gyroscope Company and Raytheon Corporation field
17 engineers at Ft. Bliss, Texas and White Sands, New Mexico; and
 
18     WHEREAS, William Eichenauer and his father, Harold,
19 established Eichenauer Services, Inc. (ESI), an electrical
20 contracting and commercial food equipment service company, in
21 1955; after purchasing his father's share of the business in

 

 

SR0754 - 2 - LRB095 21668 GRL 51870 r

1 1972, he served as chairman of the board until 2004, when the
2 company was purchased by his sons; and
 
3     WHEREAS, William Eichenauer's leadership in the commercial
4 food equipment service industry helped establish the
5 Commercial Food Equipment Service Association (CFESA) in 1963,
6 where he served as president from 1969-1971 and 1983-1985; he
7 was instrumental in developing Tech Trac 80, a national
8 technical training program at the Northwood Institute, and
9 garnered national recognition with the Presidential
10 Distinguished Service Award from (CFESA) in 1977 and the
11 Outstanding Top Service Company in the nation by Vulcan Hart
12 Corporation in Louisville, Kentucky in 1988; ESI was also
13 recognized as the Decatur Chamber of Commerce Small Business of
14 the Year in 1981 and was named the Illinois Small Business of
15 the Year by Loyola University in 2002; and
 
16     WHEREAS, William Eichenauer was a tireless supporter of
17 Millikin University for fifty-seven years; he served as
18 president of the local fraternal chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon
19 and the Millikin Quarterback Club and served as chairman for
20 the Millikin Annual Fund Drive, Capital Fund Drive, and
21 Centennial Committee; he was elected to the Millikin Board of
22 Trustees in 1993 and continued to serve as an Emeritus trustee
23 afterwards; his favorite activity was running the scoreboard
24 for Millikin's football and basketball games; in honor of his

 

 

SR0754 - 3 - LRB095 21668 GRL 51870 r

1 service to the university, he received the Alumni Loyalty Award
2 in 1966 and the Alumnus of the Year in 1996; and
 
3     WHEREAS, William Eichenauer's commitment to education
4 extended throughout his community; he served on the Advisory
5 Council for establishment of the Community College of Decatur
6 (Richland), the Vocational Education Task Force for the State
7 of Illinois Department of Education, and the Advisory Council
8 to the District 61 Area Vocational Center; he recently worked
9 to establish the Center for Creative Learning and the Culinary
10 Institute at Richland Community College, which will offer
11 classes in the fall of 2008; and
 
12     WHEREAS, William Eichenauer's dedication to revitalizing
13 the historic areas of Decatur led to the establishment of the
14 Oakwood Business Association, where he served as chairman, and
15 the Olde Towne Redevelopment Corporation for the City of
16 Decatur, which offers funding to homeowners for property
17 improvements in Decatur's West End; his efforts to influence
18 the creation of the West Main Corridor resulted in the
19 completion of its first phase in 2007; he continued to serve on
20 the Lincoln Square Theatre board as past chairman to support
21 ongoing efforts to renovate the historic theatre; and
 
22     WHEREAS, William Eichenauer's concern for the plight of
23 America's wolf population led to his involvement in

 

 

SR0754 - 4 - LRB095 21668 GRL 51870 r

1 establishing the wolf exhibit at Scovill Zoo; and
 
2     WHEREAS, William Eichenauer was a past chairman of the
3 Community Investment Corporation of Decatur, and was elected to
4 the board of trustees for First National Bank, First Decatur
5 Bancshares (now Busey Bank) in 1992; he was a member of the
6 Westminster Presbyterian Church, where he served as Deacon,
7 Elder, and president of the Board of Trustees; in honor of his
8 dedication to the Decatur community, he was named the Citizen
9 of the Year by the City of Decatur in 2007; and
 
10     WHEREAS, William Eichenauer took pleasure from woodworking
11 and gardening and was an avid rock hound; he thoroughly enjoyed
12 hunting for gems in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina
13 during family vacations and was grateful for his role as "Head
14 Guru" on camping trips across the country with the nine "Guru"
15 families; and
 
16     WHEREAS, William Eichenauer is survived by his loving wife,
17 Nancy; his sisters, Betty Peters (Roy) and Mary Jane Babb
18 (Rob); his sons, Tom (Gloria) and Lee (Toni); his daughters,
19 Beth Stringer, Patty Jones, and Sue Allen (John); and his 17
20 grandchildren; and
 
21     WHEREAS, William Eichenauer took great pride in his family
22 and worked to instill a strong sense of self; he lived by four

 

 

SR0754 - 5 - LRB095 21668 GRL 51870 r

1 basic tenets, which consisted of worshipping God, working hard,
2 cherishing his family, and giving back to his community; his
3 selfless passion for living, voracious desire to keep learning,
4 and the deep love he held for his family and the city he called
5 home will be greatly missed by his loved ones and his many
6 friends; therefore, be it
 
7     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
8 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
9 his family and friends, the passing of William Eichenauer; and
10 be it further
 
11     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12 presented to the family of William Eichenauer as an expression
13 of our sympathy.