SR0213 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0213 LRB094 12389 HSS 46647 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with regret of the death of Charles George Whinfrey, Jr., of Geneva on Tuesday, March 29, 2005; and

WHEREAS, He was born on September 11, 1922, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Charles G. Sr. and Myrtle Whinfrey; as a child growing up in New Jersey, he felt the impact of the Great Depression when his family lost everything; he attended Rutgers University for two years before enlisting in the service in 1944; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Whinfrey valiantly served his country as a member of the U.S. Navy during World War II, when he was commissioned as an officer; he served as captain of the minesweeper USS Reedbird for 16 months off the coast of Pearl Harbor and in the Panama Canal, attaining the rank of lieutenant; and

WHEREAS, After his military discharge, he enrolled at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he received a bachelor's degree in science and agriculture; in 1946, he married the former Mary Kirk, his college sweetheart and wife of 59 years; and

WHEREAS, He began his career in the chemical industry in the sales division of PennSalt Co. in Philadelphia; he was transferred to the company's office in Aurora in 1955, where he worked for several years before becoming a sales manager for Great Lakes Solvent in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, In 1963, Mr. Whinfrey founded Producers Chemical Co., a chemical distribution company in Batavia; he ran the company for 23 years before turning over the reins to other family members after his retirement in 1986; during the early years, he worked as a one-man operation; when he went on to employ others in his company, he looked for ways to increase their financial security by offering employee benefits such as a profit-sharing plan, an uncommon thing in the 1960s; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Charles George Whinfrey, Jr., has been deeply felt by many, especially his wife, Mary; his children, Donald (Virginia) Whinfrey, Peter (Judy) Whinfrey, and Jane (Roger) Harris; his grandchildren, Scott, Abigail, Emily, and Andrew; and his brother, David Whinfrey; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Charles George Whinfrey, Jr., and we extend our deepest sympathy 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 his family as an expression of our sincere condolences.