HR0248 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0248 LRB102 18224 LAW 25864 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Joe Aden on the occasion of his retirement as Mayor of the Village of East Cape Girardeau; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Aden attended Dongola High School, where he played basketball, averaging 36.6 points per game, and was the third leading scorer in the nation in 1958; he graduated from Union University in 1962; due to his outstanding performance on the court, he was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Union University Hall of Fame in 2015; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Aden had a successful career in education; he first taught at Shawnee High School; he then became the principal of Wolf Lake Grade School; he later returned to Shawnee High School as principal; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Aden has faithfully served the citizens of East Cape Girardeau for 42 years; he first served as a trustee from 1975 to 1977; he then served as mayor from 1977 to 2009 and then again from 2013 to 2021; and

WHEREAS, During his time in public office, Mayor Aden was well respected and played an active role in many improvements for East Cape Girardeau, including the installation of a natural gas system, a sewage system, and cable television; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Aden provided steady leadership for East Cape Girardeau through the devastating flood of 2019, during which Routes 3 and 146 between East Cape Girardeau and McClure were closed for 36 days from June 21 to July 26; and

WHEREAS, In his spare time, Mayor Aden enjoys spending time with his wife Jacque, his daughter Shelly, and his two sons Shannon and Todd; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate East Cape Girardeau Mayor Joe Aden on his retirement, and we thank him for his service and wish him the best in all his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mayor Aden as a symbol of our respect and esteem.