SR0673 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0673 LRB094 19889 HSS 57075 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with regret of the death of William A. "Bill" Williams of Richton Park on February 26, 2006; and

WHEREAS, He was born on June 16, 1936, to Fred Sr. and Beatrice Williams on a farm in Gilmore, Arkansas; the family relocated to Chicago in the early 1940s; he served his country as a member of the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany, where he became fluent in German and later in French; and

WHEREAS, For years, he was a bus driver for the Chicago Transit Authority and later for the American Sightseeing Tour Bus Company; he was a favorite with German and French tourists because he could speak their languages; then in 1978, while driving for the Willet Bus Company, he became smitten with a young teacher he met at Kozminski Elementary School; he married Yvonne Brooks in 1980; and

WHEREAS, He was a man of many hobbies, including writing; he had two unpublished novels and was working on a family memoir; he previously had written a column for the Chicago Defender; he collected over 50 miniature cars with moving parts, including remote-controlled fire trucks; in his early 60s, he took up the guitar; he was a pack rat and loved westerns, music, good books, facts and trivia, telling jokes, and playing pranks; and

WHEREAS, After he retired in 2002 from Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation, he served his community as a member of the Richton Park Human Rights Commission for three years; and

WHEREAS, The passing of William A. Williams has been deeply felt by many, especially his wife, Yvonne; his daughters, Debra Williams (Derrick) and Rachel Brooks; his son, Mark Williams (Addie); his grandsons, Derrick Jr., and Eric; his granddaughter, Danielle; his brothers, Fred Jr. (Eunice), James (Kathryn), Clyde, Lamarr, and Darius; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, James and Hazel Williams; his sister-in-law, Karen; his brothers-in-law, Tony and Tory; his nieces and nephews; and his many other relatives and good friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of William A. "Bill" Williams, and we 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 his family as an expression of our deepest sympathy.