SR0407 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0407 LRB099 12100 MST 34774 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of William Raymond "Bill" Prather of Chillicothe, who passed away on April 20, 2015; and

WHEREAS, Bill Prather was born in Peoria on July 1, 1932 to Claude Raymond and Helen (nee Burkey) Prather; he attended school in Chillicothe; he married Gloria Haddad on December 31, 1954; he later married Evelyn Morris on October 1, 1976; and

WHEREAS, For several years, Bill Prather was a truck driver for Nerad Oil, Sinclair, Texaco, and Brewers Distributing; later he owned and operated U-Lok Storage and Bee-J Amusements; and

WHEREAS, Bill Prather's true passion was in politics and he spent most of his life in public service; he served the community of Chillicothe for more than 40 years; he served as the Chillicothe Township Road Commissioner for 38 1/2 years; since 2010, he served as a Chillicothe Township Trustee; he served as President, past President, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Director of the Township Officials of Illinois over the years, beginning in 1982; since 1970, he served as Democrat Precinct Committeeman for Chillicothe Precinct 7; he also was the Chairman of the Peoria County Democratic Central Committee for 16 years, beginning in 1992; he served on the Peoria County Board for more than 34 years, representing Districts 1, 13, and 15, and he served as Chairman from 2007 to 2008; upon his retirement from the County Board, State Rep. David Leitch presented him with a proclamation for his years of service to the county; the County Board thereafter appointed him as a Trustee for the Greater Chillicothe Sanitary District; and

WHEREAS, Bill Prather co-founded Ambulance Rescue 33, an originally all-volunteer ambulance service, and was a charter member of the Chillicothe Claud-Elen Days, which he and his parents created to support Ambulance Rescue 33; Claud-Elen Days is now in its 49th year and has grown to assist many other local organizations; since 1969, he worked for Shriners Hospitals for Crippled Children and was a permanent contributing member; he was a Noble of the Mystic Shrine in the Mohammed Temple of Peoria and was a member of the 100 Million Dollar Club; he was a member of numerous other clubs and organizations, including the Hanna City Sportsman's Club, the El Hajj Peoria Caravanserai No. 6, Chillicothe Jaycees, the Peoria Casting Club, the St. Patrick Society, the Chillicothe Twin City REACT Team, and the United States Chamber of Commerce; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his years in public service, Bill Prather received numerous awards and achievements; he received 2 Peoria County Township Highway Commissioner Appreciation awards; he was chosen as the Chillicothe Rotary Club Citizen of the Year in 1979 and received the Outstanding Service to the Taxpayers of Peoria County Award 4 times, in 1982, 1984, 1988, and 1998; in 1982, he earned the Vice-Chairman Reapportionment Committee Award for his assistance with district reapportionment; also in 1982, he earned the Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Community; in 1983, he received the Citizen Participation Award from the Community Workshop and Training Center; in 1985, he received the Betty Osborne Award for his efforts in furthering feminist goals and ideals; in 1993, the Peoria County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 157 recognized him as a "Shop with a Cop" sponsor; he received the Distinguished Service Award for 17 years of service to the Highway Commissioner's Division of Township Officials of Illinois, from 1982 to 1999; in 2002, the Marty Gollnitz Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4999 presented him with an award for his many years of service; in 2004, he received the President's Award from the Township Officials of Illinois, the highest award given to one township official in the State each year; in 2007, he received the Charles C. Schlink Memorial Award for Good Government from the Chillicothe Jaycees; in 2014, he received the Award Medal of St. Paul from the Bishop of the Diocese of Quincy; and

WHEREAS, Bill Prather enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, driving along the Illinois River, traveling, collecting antique clocks and jukeboxes, collecting coins, and eating almost any "fried" food; he traveled to Washington, D.C. on numerous occasions and was twice invited to the White House by President Jimmy Carter and President George W. Bush; and

WHEREAS, Bill Prather was preceded in death by his first wife, Gloria; his second wife, Evelyn; his parents; and his sister, Patricia Wilson; and

WHEREAS, Bill Prather is survived by his daughter, Rhonda Prather-Tank; his 2 sons, William "Pat" Prather and Neil Prather; his step-son, John Morris; and his 3 grandchildren, Ryan Tank, Nathaniel Prather, and Nicholas Prather; therefore, be it

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