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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Bill
4Rucks, former head coach of the Mount Pulaski High School
5basketball team; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Coach Rucks taught grade school in Mount Pulaski
7for more than 30 years and was involved with the Hilltoppers
8basketball program for many years more as an assistant coach to
9hall of fame head coach Ed Butkovich for 26 years, as head
10coach from 1996 to 2002, and again as assistant coach under
11coach Ryan Deibert; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Coach Rucks graduated from Waukegan High School in
131972 and played basketball at the University of Illinois
14Urbana-Champaign from 1973 to 1976, where he was the school's
15first 7-foot player; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Coach Rucks went 83 and 77 in the 6 seasons he
17served as head coach for the Hilltoppers and is remembered by
18those he worked with for having a unique sense of humor that
19was able to teach his students what they needed to learn; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Coach Rucks spent the last years of his life in a
21motorized wheelchair, yet he did not allow that to prevent him

 

 

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1from being as active as possible in the Mount Pulaski
2community; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Coach Rucks was known as a fiercely loyal Illini
4fan and even more loyal and devoted to his family; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Coach Rucks was seen by many as a role model,
6teacher, coach, and friend whose impact on the Mount Pulaski
7community will live on for years to come; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Coach Rucks is survived by his wife, Janet Rucks;
9his daughter, Kristin Rucks-Smith, Athletic Director at Mount
10Pulaski Elementary School; and his siblings, Jim Rucks, Tom
11Rucks, Renee Sams, Richard Rucks, Pete Rucks, Mary Gray, and
12Becky Belmont; therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
15mourn the death of Coach Bill Rucks of Mount Pulaski and extend
16our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all those
17in the Mount Pulaski community whose lives were impacted by
18him; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to the family of Bill Rucks as an expression of our
21deepest sympathy.