SR0484 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0484 LRB099 12220 MST 35076 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of William "Bill" Franz of Crystal Lake, who passed away on April 12, 2015; and

WHEREAS, Bill Franz was born in Dayton, Ohio on December 3, 1930; 2 years later, at the height of the Great Depression, his family moved to Crystal Lake; he graduated from Crystal Lake Community High School in 1948 and was his senior class President; he attended the University of Michigan, where he competed on the swim team for 2 years before service in the United States Air Force during the Korean War interrupted his studies; during his military service, he learned to speak Russian and later obtained a commission as a Second Lieutenant before being discharged at the war's end; and

WHEREAS, Bill Franz worked constantly throughout his lifetime, holding a succession of 53 different jobs before he turned 30; he graduated from Chicago Kent Law School in 1959 and embarked on his 54th job, his law career; and

WHEREAS, Bill Franz played a leading role in Crystal Lake's residential and commercial development; he often served as a public advocate, as when his firm contested in court and won a judgment in the 1980s against a proposed new landfill in McHenry County by a large company with a checkered environmental record; and

WHEREAS, Bill Franz was preceded in death by his parents; his 4 brothers; and his sister; and

WHEREAS, Bill Franz is survived by his wife of 52 years, Jane; his 2 sisters, Bonnie Franz Ogden and Sandy Franz Reynolds; his 4 children, David Franz, Julie McConnell, Liz Franz, and Sue Soden; and his 7 grandchildren, Katherine and Alex Franz, Emma and Isabel Soden, and Lucia, Carly, and Paige McConnell; 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 "Bill" Franz, 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 Franz as an expression of our deepest sympathy.