SR0341 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0341 LRB103 32640 MST 62309 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of James Cole of Chicago, who passed away on July 11, 2022 at the age of 78; and

WHEREAS, James Cole was born in Humboldt, Tennessee to Gertie and Vernon Cole, who were both sharecroppers; and

WHEREAS, James Cole arrived on the West Side of Chicago as a ninth grader and attended Marshall High School; and

WHEREAS, During his early adult life, James Cole worked in welding and at the Ford Motor Company assembly plant on Chicago's South Side; and

WHEREAS, Outside of a pool hall on Madison Street and Kedzie Avenue, James Cole began to shine shoes and used his earnings to play a game or two inside; and

WHEREAS, Before long, shoe shining became more lucrative for James Cole than his daily 9 to 5 job; at a stand outside of a West Side record store, he turned his hobby into a professional business; ultimately, he took the lease for the entire building; and

WHEREAS, In 1968, James Cole expanded Shine King to its current location on Central Avenue and Lake Street; from 1970 to 2003, he also ran a separate site at 3954 W. Madison Street; and

WHEREAS, For nearly 60 years, James Cole offered employment at Shine King to at-risk youth and the formerly incarcerated; in turn, these employees provided quality service to prominent individuals such as bluesman Little Milton, R&B singer Johnnie Taylor, Chicago Mayors Harold Washington and Lori Lightfoot, and soon-to-be U.S. Senator and President, Barack Obama; and

WHEREAS, James Cole parlayed the success of Shine King into additional business ventures that included real estate, roofing, and tailoring; and

WHEREAS, Two of James Coles's favorite music genres were blues and gospel; during business hours at Shine King, songs by The Caravans, James Cleveland, and the Mighty Clouds of Joy were played in heavy rotation; and

WHEREAS, James Cole was a loyal Chicago Bulls fan; as a 25-year season ticket holder, he witnessed six championships firsthand; and

WHEREAS, James Cole was preceded in death by his parents, Gertie and Vernon; and

WHEREAS, James Cole is survived by his children, Vernon, Steve, Jameson, Karen, Darlene, and Ariel; 25 grandchildren; and his great-grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of James Cole 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 James Cole as an expression of our deepest sympathy.