SR0226 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0226 LRB094 12441 HSS 46831 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with regret of the death of John Chonko of Downers Grove on Friday, May 6, 2005; and

WHEREAS, Born in Stockbridge, Wisconsin, to parents who emigrated from the Ukraine, Mr. Chonko moved to Downers Grove when he was young and graduated from Downers Grove Community High School in 1943; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Chonko valiantly served his country during World War II as a member of the U.S. Army Air Forces; and

WHEREAS, He attended North Central College in Naperville, graduating in 1948 with a bachelor's degree in business administration; he first worked in the insurance business, but in 1951, he was hired as the first manager of a fledging credit union, which had been run by volunteers at Argonne, near Lemont; and

WHEREAS, Two years after he started at the Argonne National Laboratory Credit Union in 1951, Mr. Chonko became president; for the next 39 years, he helped the institution grow from initial assets of $6,700 and 226 members to resources that exceeded $80 million and 10,000 members; during his tenure, the credit union expanded to include a branch at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, near Batavia, and at a laboratory run by the University of Chicago for the Department of Energy in Idaho; and

WHEREAS, The passing of John Chonko has been deeply felt by many, especially his wife, Carolyn, whom he married in 1948; his daughter, Cheri; his sons, Curtis and Glen; and his two grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of John Chonko, a man who enjoyed helping people and never shirked his responsibilities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to his family as an expression of our sincerest condolences.