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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of James K. Polk of Peoria, who passed away
4on November 8, 2016; and
 
5    WHEREAS, James Polk was born in Memphis, Tennessee to
6Charlie and Nellie (Jones) Polk on June 13, 1939; he married
7Virginia Kyle, Patricia Stokes, and then Patti; and
 
8    WHEREAS, For more than 50 years, James Polk demonstrated a
9passion for bringing people together to create substantive
10solutions that dealt with issues such as neighborhood
11development and involvement, economic development, social
12services, diversity, and civil rights; and
 
13    WHEREAS, James Polk was a Peoria County Board member from
141972 to 1976 and from 1982 to 1985, and Peoria City Councilman
15for the First District from 1985 to 1993, the first African
16American to be elected to those positions; he served on the
17Illinois Central College Board of Trustees since 1997 with
18eight years in leadership positions; he served on the Board of
19Trustees Greater Peoria Mass Transit-City Link since 2007; he
20was on the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission for 10
21years, where he served as Chairman; he served on numerous
22additional boards and committees; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, James Polk received the 2015 Peoria Area Chamber
2of Commerce Tom Connor Service Award, the 2015 Peoria Magazines
3Local Legends, and the 2006 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
4Commemorative Service Leadership Award; and
 
5    WHEREAS, James Polk was a member of the Mt. Zion Baptist
6Church, the Peoria Downtown Rotary Club, and the NAACP; and
 
7    WHEREAS, James Polk was preceded in death by his parents
8and his son, Kevin Polk; and
 
9    WHEREAS, James Polk is survived by his wife of 17 years,
10Patti; his children, Karen (Billy) Raymond, Jonelle (Daniel)
11McCloud, and Rebecca Polk; his stepchildren, Anika (Henry)
12Florez, and Joshua (Gina) Sterling; his brother, Sam (Jean)
13Polk; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren;
14therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
16ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
17James K. Polk, and extend our sincere condolences to his
18family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
19further
 
20    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be

 

 

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1presented to the family of James Polk as an expression of our
2deepest sympathy.