Full Text of SR0762 93rd General Assembly
SR0762 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois | 3 |
| learned with regret of the death of Samuel A. Patch, a longtime | 4 |
| aide and strategist to former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington, | 5 |
| on Wednesday, January 5, 2005; and | 6 |
| WHEREAS, Samuel A. Patch was born in Chicago on September | 7 |
| 24, 1933, the second youngest of nine children, and remained a | 8 |
| life-long resident of the city to which he made such | 9 |
| significant contribution; and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. Patch graduated from Englewood High School and | 11 |
| earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from | 12 |
| Kentucky State University; and
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| WHEREAS, He lived in Chicago's 3rd Ward for most of his | 14 |
| life and made a tremendous imprint there; he helped to develop | 15 |
| many of the innovative, creative programs of former Alderman | 16 |
| Ralph Metcalfe that sought to improve the quality of life for | 17 |
| young people; and | 18 |
| WHEREAS, He served his country as a member of the United | 19 |
| States Armed Forces; and
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| WHEREAS, He was an active member of the Kappa Alpha Psi | 21 |
| Fraternity; and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. Patch was both a dedicated teacher in the | 23 |
| Chicago Public School System and played semi-professional | 24 |
| football for the Chicago Crusaders; and
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| WHEREAS, Samuel A. Patch was an astute businessman and | 26 |
| entrepreneur, acting as Manager of the Black Trey, owner of a | 27 |
| Northside nightclub, owner of International Trade Projects, | 28 |
| and owner/operator of Balton Corp., a successful national |
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| wholesale distribution business that specializes in paper and | 2 |
| janitorial products and restaurant supplies; despite his full | 3 |
| schedule, family was his top priority; and
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| WHEREAS, He was the loving father of Shari Wilson, | 5 |
| grandfather of four, affectionate brother of eight siblings | 6 |
| with four surviving siblings, and was uncle, mentor, and | 7 |
| cherished friend to many; and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. Patch believed in and contributed to the | 9 |
| intellectual and political growth of the City's youth via | 10 |
| membership in the Illinois High School Association, | 11 |
| Directorship of the Third Ward Christmas Baskets and Family | 12 |
| Christmas parties for over 4,500 children, and in executive | 13 |
| officer positions with the Study Program for Elementary | 14 |
| Students, Cook County Young Democrats, and the District 13 | 15 |
| Educational Advisory Council; and
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| WHEREAS, He made innumerable contributions to the city and | 17 |
| his community via service as Assistant Director of Model | 18 |
| Cities-Chicago Committee on Urban Opportunities, as Chair of | 19 |
| Model Cities Near South Area Planning Council, as Director of | 20 |
| the Decisive Aspirational Development Program, as a member of | 21 |
| the Citizens Review Committee for Grants from the State | 22 |
| Department of Mental Health, as Vice President of the City-wide | 23 |
| Citizen Advisory Board on Mental Health, as a member of the | 24 |
| Advisory Board Firman United Christian Community Services, as | 25 |
| Co-Chair of the Harold Washington Stamp Committee, and as | 26 |
| Founding Member of the Human Resources Development Institute | 27 |
| (HRDI); and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. Patch stood with courage and determination in | 29 |
| the movement for political empowerment of his community, | 30 |
| serving as Founder of the National Black Political Convention, | 31 |
| Chairman of the Illinois Black Political Assembly, Instructor | 32 |
| in political education classes for Chicago Black United |
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| Communities (CBUC) and the Charles A. Hayes Center, as a Board | 2 |
| Member for the National Black Political Coordinating | 3 |
| Committee, a member of the Task Force for Black Political | 4 |
| Empowerment, and a member of the Harold Washington Institute | 5 |
| for Research and Political Studies; and
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| WHEREAS, He was close friend, confidant, and advisor on | 7 |
| political strategy to the City's first African American Mayor, | 8 |
| Harold Washington, serving the Mayor prior to and during his | 9 |
| mayoralty and continuing thereafter to preserve Mayor | 10 |
| Washington's ideals and legacy by acting as District | 11 |
| Administrator in the historic First Congressional District, as | 12 |
| Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, and as a member of the | 13 |
| Chicago Public Library's Harold Washington Archives and | 14 |
| Collections Committee and the Harold Washington Think Tank; and
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| WHEREAS Mr. Patch stood for fairness in government and in | 16 |
| the electoral process, spearheading successful efforts for the | 17 |
| adoption of a reapportionment map to ensure electoral | 18 |
| representation and the retention of three Majority-Black | 19 |
| Congressional Districts, an effort that earned him the | 20 |
| sobriquet "Mr. Superb" by the Chicago Sun-Times, and serving as | 21 |
| a Delegate to the 1970 Illinois Constitutional Convention; and | 22 |
| WHEREAS, He was an avid Bears fan; described as a serious, | 23 |
| quiet man, he showed a different side in the football stadium; | 24 |
| it is his quiet, behind-the-scenes actions that will be missed | 25 |
| most, especially by the city's African-American community, | 26 |
| which has lost a political giant; he was involved in most, if | 27 |
| not all, of the political movements of the South Side for the | 28 |
| past 50 years; and
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| WHEREAS, He leaves a legacy of excellence, intellect, | 30 |
| dedication, and courage to the many young people whom he | 31 |
| befriended, mentored, and urged to follow him in leading lives | 32 |
| of progressive political, social, and community activism; |
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| therefore, be it | 2 |
| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL | 3 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the death of | 4 |
| Samuel A. Patch, and we extend our deepest sympathy to his | 5 |
| family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | 6 |
| further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 8 |
| presented to the family of Mr. Patch as an expression of our | 9 |
| sincere condolences.
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