SR1013 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1013 LRB101 20470 LAW 70035 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Calvin Frank Kolar of Carbondale and Lake Gogebic, Michigan, who passed away on January 23, 2020; and

WHEREAS, Calvin Kolar was born in Cicero to Albert and Ella Kolar on July 24, 1924; he graduated from Morton East High School in Cicero; he grew up during the Depression, and the experience became the foundation for his strong work ethic; he was inducted into the U.S. Army on May 29, 1943 and was honorably discharged on February 17, 1946; he married Ruth Helen Livzey on October 5, 1946; they had three children and raised them in Wonder Lake; they then built a home on the family farm in nearby Hebron; in the early 1960s, they purchased land on Lake Gogebic, Michigan, which became their summer and fall residence; during the winter months, they spent several years in Bradenton, Florida; they eventually moved to Carbondale, where their son was located; and

WHEREAS, During WWII, Calvin Kolar served in the U.S. Army Air Corps; he initially went to pilot training school at North Carolina State University in Raleigh; as the war progressed, his entire pilot class was shifted into bomber air crew training; he was assigned to fly on a B-24 bomber and underwent training as an aerial gunner and navigator; he served as a member of a bomber crew, which was part of the Eighth Air Force at the U.S. Army Air Corps base in Norwich, England; from late January 1945 until the end of the war in May 1945, he participated in bombing missions over Germany; over the years, he stayed in touch with almost all of his former bomber crew members; and

WHEREAS, Upon returning to the U.S., Calvin Kolar went into the printing trade and apprenticed as a line-o-type operator; he eventually became a journeyman typesetter; he worked out of union halls in Chicago and Waukegan, working for such newspapers as the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times; he also worked for several smaller printing companies within the Chicago and Waukegan area; he dabbled in odd jobs throughout his life, including managing a "put and take" pheasant hunting operation in northern Illinois for three years; alongside his wife, he operated a concession/boat rental/bait shop business for several years at the McHenry Dam and Moraine Hills State Parks in McHenry County; and

WHEREAS, Calvin Kolar was very active in the International Typographical Union and spent time on the picket lines on more than one occasion; he was a strong supporter of workers' collective bargaining rights; and

WHEREAS, Calvin Kolar was known for his devotion to his family; he also had a penchant for outdoor activities, including hunting, fishing, and mushroom hunting; he was also a member of the Epiphany Lutheran Church in Carbondale; and

WHEREAS, Calvin Kolar was preceded in death by his wife of 71 years, Ruth Helen Livzey; and

WHEREAS, Calvin Kolar is survived by his son, Clay; his daughters, Karen and Lynn; his five grandchildren; his four great-grandchildren; and his many friends from Illinois, Michigan, Florida, and elsewhere; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Calvin Frank Kolar and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Calvin Kolar as an expression of our deepest sympathy.