Full Text of SR2204 99th General Assembly
SR2204 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 | | learn of the death of Elroy Edward "Buck" Hilbert of Union, who | 4 | | passed away on August 3, 2016; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Elroy Hilbert was born on November 16, 1924 in | 6 | | Chicago; his parents were Elroy Lawrence and Florence Hilbert; | 7 | | he married Elizabeth "Betty" A. Briegel in 1951; she passed | 8 | | away in 1960; he married Dorothy E. Steffenhagen in 1961; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Elroy Hilbert was bitten by the aviation "bug" | 10 | | early in his life; at the age of 12, he became a line boy at | 11 | | Elmhurst Airport; he made his first solo flight in 1941 at Wood | 12 | | Dale Airport; after graduating from Lane Tech High School, he | 13 | | joined the United States Army Air Corps in 1942 and trained as | 14 | | an aircraft maintenance specialist; in 1944, he graduated as a | 15 | | flight officer and was sent to B-17 training; he was discharged | 16 | | in 1946, but was recalled to active duty in 1950 and flew as an | 17 | | Army Aviator Liaison Pilot in the Korean War; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, Elroy Hilbert worked in various jobs, including | 19 | | crop spraying, flight instruction, Wisconsin Bell, Wisconsin | 20 | | Power and Light, and a rural mail carrier before being hired to | 21 | | fly for United Airlines in 1952, where he worked for the next | 22 | | 32 years flying DC-3s, Convairs, Viscounts, DC-6s, DC-7s, |
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| 1 | | Boeing 707s, Boeing 727s, and finishing his career flying | 2 | | DC-8s; and
| 3 | | WHEREAS, In 1971, Elroy Hilbert and his wife moved to Union | 4 | | and turned an old hog farm into an aviator haven known as | 5 | | "Hilbert's Funny Farm"; although he earned his living as a | 6 | | commercial pilot, his love for history and the preservation of | 7 | | early flying machines led him to seek out, restore, and fly | 8 | | numerous antique and classic aircraft; in 1976, he participated | 9 | | in the restoration of a Swallow biplane and a subsequent public | 10 | | relations tour in celebration of United Airlines 50th | 11 | | anniversary, flying the original airmail route of the plane all | 12 | | over the United States; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, As a promoter of general aviation, Elroy Hilbert | 14 | | was a member of numerous associations, chapters, and clubs; he | 15 | | was a founding member of the Experimental Aircraft Association | 16 | | (EAA) and the first president of EAA's Antique and Classic | 17 | | Division; he and his wife volunteered annually for the EAA | 18 | | Convention (AirVenture) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and for the Sun | 19 | | 'n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, Elroy Hilbert was a Certified Flight Instructor | 21 | | and an airframe and power plant mechanic; he authored many | 22 | | articles for EAA publications, including a monthly column | 23 | | called "Pass it to Buck" for Vintage magazine, and was |
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| 1 | | frequently asked to speak at flying clubs events and other | 2 | | aviation organizations; and
| 3 | | WHEREAS, Elroy Hilbert was recognized for his many | 4 | | contributions to the aviation world throughout his life and | 5 | | holds a place in both the Illinois Aviation and the EAA Hall of | 6 | | Fame; he was also honored as an Elder Statesman for the | 7 | | National Aeronautical Association; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Elroy Hilbert was a regular contributor to the | 9 | | McHenry County Historical Society, the Illinois Railway | 10 | | Museum, and other organizations that work to preserve and share | 11 | | local history; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, Elroy Hilbert was preceded in death by his first | 13 | | wife, Elizabeth; his second wife, Dorothy; his parents; and his | 14 | | siblings, Dianne Buckles and Frank Hilbert; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Elroy Hilbert is survived by his children, Bob | 16 | | (Diane), Christine, Alice (Tom) Taylor, Elroy E. (Laurie), Lee | 17 | | (Corinn), and Leslie; his grandchildren, Heidi, Robert, | 18 | | Matthew, Sierra, Tim, Luke, Whitman, and Benjamin; his | 19 | | great-grandchildren, Kyle and Nicholas; many cousins, nieces, | 20 | | and nephews; his cat; and many friends and honorary children; | 21 | | therefore, be it
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL | 2 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his | 3 | | family and friends, mourn the passing of Elroy Edward "Buck" | 4 | | Hilbert; and be it further
| 5 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 6 | | presented to the family of Elroy Hilbert as an expression of | 7 | | our sympathy.
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