SR0124 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0124 LRB096 11874 KXB 22832 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Donald Miles Merwin of DeKalb, who passed away on February 14, 2009; and

WHEREAS, He was born March 7, 1934, in Sandwich, the son of Millard Blake and Myrtle (Grandgeorge) Merwin; when he was in third grade, his father was transferred to Mt. Morris and he finished school there, graduating from Mt. Morris High School in the class of 1952; he attended Northern Illinois University, Kishwaukee College, and Naperville College; and

WHEREAS, He married Lois Bender in Bloomingdale on June 30, 1956; they made their home in Oregon, Illinois, while he worked for Ogle Service Company; he then started working for The Daily Chronicle, and they moved to DeKalb; and

WHEREAS, He later worked for DeKalb Ogle Telephone Company, later Contel, and finally Verizon; he worked there until his retirement; and he was a Verizon Pioneer life member; and

WHEREAS, He was a member of First United Methodist Church, where he served on many committees, and of Kishwaukee Kiwanis, where he served as president in 1990 and 1991, and Lieutenant Governor from 1993 to 1995; he was also an adviser to Circle K; he was also a member and past master of DeKalb lodge No. 144, the Scottish Rite, Tebala Temple, and Dustin Chapter of the Eastern Star; he served on the City of DeKalb Zoning Board of Appeals for more than 30 years; he was a Republican Precinct Committeeman and Chairman of the DeKalb County Republican Party for a time and was named Republican of the Year in 1994; and

WHEREAS, He received the Contel Citizenship Award for the Central Region and also the Corporate Citizenship Award in 1983; he also served on the DeKalb County Jury Commission; and

WHEREAS, Donald Merwin is survived by his wife, Lois; his four sons, Jeff (Sandy), John (Laura), Tom (Diane), and Doug(Samantha); his seven grandchildren, Ben (Michelle), Kim (Peter Leonteos), Luke, Jeremy and Chelsea, Dolly, and Logan; his brother, Dick; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Donald Merwin; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Donald Merwin as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.