Full Text of HR0639 101st General Assembly
HR0639 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Rev. | 4 | | Sylvester Smith Jr.; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Smith was born in Nita Yuma, Mississippi to | 6 | | Leona Dantzler and Sylvester Smith Sr. on
October 31, 1926; as | 7 | | a young man, he relocated to Chicago and settled in the | 8 | | Bronzeville neighborhood; he
joined the 44th St. Baptist | 9 | | Church, where he served
on the usher board; he married Naomi | 10 | | Hill in May of 1949 and served in the military from 1954 to | 11 | | 1956; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Smith worked for the Smith Transfer Company | 13 | | (Huber & Huber) for 42 years; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Smith graduated from Hope Bible College; in | 15 | | 1965, he was elected pastor of the newly-formed New Pisgah M.B. | 16 | | Church, which grew over the years to include successful day | 17 | | care and senior housing; he made educating children a priority | 18 | | and advocated for daycare and Headstart funding and | 19 | | legislation; he served as a mentor at Englewood High School and | 20 | | enjoyed being a positive role model and frequently gave the | 21 | | students motivational and
inspiring talks; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Smith was affectionately known as "Uncle | 2 | | Junior"; he loved to repair cars and attended the Greer | 3 | | Mechanic School; he was elected president of the Baptist | 4 | | Minister's Alliance of Chicago and Vicinity for two terms; he | 5 | | loved to attend the yearly National Baptist Conventions; he was | 6 | | a world traveler and visited Israel, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the | 7 | | Dominican Republic, the Bahamas
and most major cities in the | 8 | | United States; he enjoyed taking cruises and was his children's | 9 | | biggest fan; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Smith was preceded in death by his wife of 62 | 11 | | years, Naomi; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Smith is survived by his children, Stanley | 13 | | (Ruthie), Gloria, Denise,
Pastor Wayne (Toi), and David | 14 | | (Rhonda); his sister, Ethel Wilson; his brother, Albert Smith; | 15 | | his grandchildren, Latreese, Bryan, Cha-chi, Chasty, and | 16 | | Adoria; and his great-grandchildren, Devon, Brayden, and
| 17 | | Myles; therefore, be it
| 18 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 19 | | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 20 | | we mourn the passing of Rev. Sylvester Smith Jr. and extend our | 21 | | sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew | 22 | | and loved him; and be it further
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 2 | | presented to the family of Rev. Smith as an expression of our | 3 | | deepest sympathy.
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