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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate were saddened
3to learn of the passing of one of our oldest and dearest
4friends, Bill Luking, on June 12, 2014; and
 
5    WHEREAS, William H. Luking was born on August 7, 1947 in
6Connersville, Indiana, the eldest of the 9 children of Lowell
7and Elizabeth McCarthy Luking; he graduated from Connersville
8High School in 1965, graduated cum laude from the University of
9Notre Dame in 1969, and graduated from Northwestern University
10Law School in 1972; he later served his country as a First
11Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Bill Luking was one of the Senate's most
13knowledgeable advocates; he was a wise expert who understood
14State, local, and federal law; he loved his work and its focus
15on complex issues involving taxation, economic development,
16public pensions, and mass transit; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Beginning in 1986 under the administration of
18Mayor Harold Washington, Bill Luking represented the City of
19Chicago with commitment and skill; he would go on to serve as a
20key advocate for the City for nearly 30 more years under Mayors
21Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Bill Luking's talents, skills, and vast knowledge
2helped him fight for millions of Chicagoans, conservationists,
3and nature lovers as he represented the Chicago Public Schools,
4the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Transit Authority, the
5City Colleges of Chicago, and - one of his favorites - the
6Chicago Botanic Garden; and
 
7    WHEREAS, In his years of distinguished service, Bill Luking
8was instrumental in the passage of some of the most significant
9laws affecting Chicago and its landscape, including the
10construction of the new Comiskey Park, now U.S. Cellular Field;
11the expansion of Soldier Field; the privatization of Midway
12Airport; strengthening the City's authority over its school
13system; and reforms that helped preserve the solvency of
14Chicago's pension system and the retirement security of
15countless numbers of municipal workers; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Bill Luking and his firm, Luking and Associates,
17L.L.C., were proud of their pro bono work on behalf of the
18Chicago Christian Industrial League, Tuesday's Child, the
19Howard Area Community Association, the Chicago Children's
20Advocacy Center, and the Southwest Youth Collaborative; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Bill Luking was well known and respected by the
22members and staff of the Illinois Senate for his great
23knowledge of national, State, and local law, his genial and

 

 

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1honest nature, and his unwavering dedication to our State and
2its citizens; whether they were advocating on the same side of
3an issue or in opposition to him, his peers regarded him as an
4intelligent, forthright, and honest advocate who paved the way
5for legislative success for many generations of newcomers to
6the Illinois State Capitol; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Bill Luking was universally regarded as a
8gentleman and a scholar, as well as a man of warmth and humor;
9and
 
10    WHEREAS, Bill Luking is survived by his siblings, Laura
11(Peter) Jamison, Meg Luking, Mary Anne Morris, Beth Luking,
12Gene (Debbie) Luking, Joe (Johnnie) Luking, Charlene (Larry)
13Wood, and Rosemary (Jay) Card; 13 nieces and nephews; 13
14great-nieces and great-nephews; and his friend and companion,
15Claire Manning; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL
17ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his
18family and friends, mourn the passing of Bill Luking; and be it
19further
 
20    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21presented to the family of Bill Luking as a symbol of our deep
22sympathies and great esteem.