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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 Henry
4"Hank" Martinez; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Henry Martinez was born in Chicago to parents who
6came from Guanajuato, Mexico; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Henry Martinez dedicated his life to provide
8guidance for youth and to empower Latino communities; he was
9the Founder and Executive Director of the Mexican Community
10Committee, which was established to reduce crime and gang
11activity and was the first entity of its kind in the southeast
12community of Chicago; he was the Founder and Director of the
13Latino Resource Institute of Illinois, which also houses an
14Illinois Welcoming Center and Family Advocacy Center; he served
15as Senior Supervisor at the Chicago Area Project, which
16addresses juvenile delinquency in some of the poorest
17communities of the City of Chicago; he launched the first
18Latino community college program in southeast Chicago,
19"Projecto Venceremos", which was later adopted by the City
20Colleges of Chicago; he also served as part of Governor
21Ogilvie's Spanish Speaking Peoples Study Commission in the
22early 1970s, one of the first Latino commissions in the nation;
23and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Over 3 decades later, Henry Martinez became
2convinced that Latinos needed a voice inside State government
3more than ever, which led him to become the visionary force
4behind the creation of the Illinois Latino Family Commission;
5he began serving as the organization's chairman in 2010 and led
6the efforts to fight for Latino equity and inclusion; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Henry Martinez served his country as a member of
8the United States military during the Korean War; he
9subsequently made it his mission to ensure that Latino veterans
10have a voice and access to well-deserved support; he was the
11founder of the Latino Veterans Committee of the Illinois Latino
12Family Commission to provide a forum to connect Latino veterans
13throughout the State to resources and each other; he led the
14efforts to establish a Vietnam veterans memorial in south
15Chicago that stands as a testament today to his commitment to
16his fellow veterans; he was also an active member of the
17American G.I. Forum and numerous boards, councils, and
18commissions throughout his many years of service and advocacy;
19and
 
20    WHEREAS, Henry Martinez graduated from Roosevelt
21University and the University of Chicago and held a master's
22degree in Juvenile Justice from Chicago State University; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Henry Martinez will be fondly remembered by those
2who knew and loved him for his roles as community organizer,
3youth advocate, government worker, consultant, journalist,
4social worker, executive director, Latino community leader,
5and devoted father, as well as his work as an action-oriented
6leader that accomplished many firsts on behalf of the Latino
7community; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Henry Martinez is survived by his wife, Linda; his
9daughters, Alison and Kristal; and his new baby grandson;
10therefore, be it
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
12NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
13we, along with his family and friends, mourn the passing of
14Henry "Hank" Martinez; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16presented to the family of Henry Martinez as an expression of
17our sympathy.