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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of Kenneth Gill of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin,
4 who passed away on June 1, 2009; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Kenneth Gill was born in O'Fallon; he served his
6 country with pride and distinction as a member of the United
7 States Navy during World War II and the Korean War; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Kenneth Gill received his bachelor's degree from
9 Illinois College, his master's degree from the University of
10 Illinois, and his doctorate in education from Northern Illinois
11 University; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Kenneth Gill had a long and distinguished career
13 in education at Wheeling Township Elementary District 21; he
14 began his career in District 21 in 1959, when the district had
15 only 3 schools and 1,100 students; at the time of Mr. Gill's
16 retirement in 1980, there were 17 schools and 6,600 students in
17 the district; and
 
18     WHEREAS, During his tenure in District 21, Kenneth Gill was
19 instrumental in the growth and prosperity of the school
20 district; influenced by his blind mother, he was instrumental
21 in starting a Braille program for blind students in the

 

 

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1 district; he helped start a special education program and a
2 before and after-school day care program; his biggest
3 challenge, however, was in 1968, when he took on busloads of
4 John Birch Society supporters and many in his own community
5 when he defended teaching sex education in the district;
6 despite threats from his opponents to take the issue to the
7 U.S. Supreme Court, he stood firm and kept the program; and
 
8     WHEREAS, In November of 1980, the District 21 school board
9 named the district's administration center "The Kenneth F. Gill
10 Administration Building" in honor of Kenneth Gill's many years
11 of dedicated service; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Kenneth Gill is survived by his wife, Margaret;
13 his daughter, Diane Sawyer; his son, Michael; and his 4
14 grandchildren; therefore, be it
 
15     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
16 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
17 his family and friends, the passing of Kenneth Gill; and be it
18 further
 
19     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20 presented to the family of Kenneth Gill as an expression of our
21 sympathy.