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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of Chicago Sun-Times columnist Bill Gleason,
4 who passed away on January 3, 2010; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Bill Gleason was born and raised in Chicago's
6 South Side by his parents, Joseph Gleason and Helen O'Brien
7 Gleason; he attended Parker High School, now Paul Robeson High
8 School; he served in the United States Army in France during
9 World War II, receiving a Silver Star on his 22nd birthday in
10 1944; and
 
11     WHEREAS, In 1975, Mr. Gleason helped create a Sunday
12 afternoon radio sports talk show called "The Sports Writers";
13 in 1985, the show expanded to become the nationally syndicated
14 television program "The Sports Writers on TV" and ran until
15 1997; and
 
16     WHEREAS, His sportswriting career started when he was in
17 grammar school; his sister recalled that "he would listen to a
18 radio broadcast of a college game from beginning to end, then
19 go into his room, pick up a composition book and write his
20 personal report of the entire game,"; at the age of 19, Mr.
21 Gleason became sports editor of the then-Southtown Economist;
22 Mr. Gleason's long journalism career also included stints at

 

 

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1 the now-defunct Chicago American, South Bend Tribune in
2 Indiana, and the Daily Southtown; and
 
3     WHEREAS, Mr. Gleason wrote three books: Footsteps of a
4 Giant, The Liquid Cross of Skid Row, and Daley of Chicago; Mr.
5 Gleason officially retired in 2001 but continued to speak at
6 various engagements; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Mr. Gleason's most significant charitable
8 involvement included working with Misericordia Heart of Mercy,
9 Maryville Academy, and Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities; he
10 was one of the founders of the Red Cloud Athletic Fund; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Mr. Gleason is survived by his wife, Mary Ellen
12 Gleason; his two sisters, Bette Conroy and Helen Dunne; his two
13 brothers, Joe and Bernie Gleason; his five children, Terence,
14 Kevin, Martin, Amy, and Jeanine Ranzen; and his nine
15 grandchildren; therefore, be it
 
16     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
17 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
18 his family, friends, and loyal listeners and readers, the
19 passing of Bill Gleason; and be it further
 
20     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21 presented to the family of Bill Gleason as a symbol of our

 

 

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1 sincere sympathy.