Full Text of HR0496 102nd General Assembly
HR0496 102ND 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 Reverend | 4 | | Alphonso Lyons Jr. of Peoria, who passed away on September 21, | 5 | | 2021; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Alphonso Lyons was born in Peoria to | 7 | | Alphonso Sr. and Ellora (Derrick) Lyons on March 22, 1949; he | 8 | | graduated from Manual High School in 1967 and from Bradley | 9 | | University in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in Sociology and | 10 | | Religious Studies; he later received a master's degree in | 11 | | Education and Administration from Bradley; he was ordained in | 12 | | 1974; he married Cheryl G. Green in 1975, and they had two | 13 | | children together; he later married Charlene Grant Coates, and | 14 | | they raised five children together; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Alphonso Lyons served as an assistant | 16 | | pastor under the guidance of Dr. Wendall R. Phillips at Mount | 17 | | Zion Baptist Church; in May of 1974, he began serving as | 18 | | interim pastor; in October of 1974, the church selected him as | 19 | | the head pastor, where he has been known for his gentleness and | 20 | | his dynamic teaching style; he also worked as a substitute | 21 | | teacher for Peoria Public Schools for many years, teaching | 22 | | several subjects including French; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Alphonso Lyons donated his time and | 2 | | talents to numerous organizations, including serving as | 3 | | chairman of the Peoria Christian Leadership Council, as | 4 | | moderator of the Central District Congress, as past president | 5 | | of the Central District Association, as chairman of the board | 6 | | of the Peoria Christian Leadership
Council, as a member of the | 7 | | Peoria Baptist Ministerial Alliance,
as a member of the Peoria | 8 | | Ministerial Economic Development
organization, as a member of | 9 | | the Committee to Establish a Peoria Charter School, as a | 10 | | member of the Peoria Lion's Club, as a board member of the | 11 | | Manual High School Advisory Board, as past president of the | 12 | | Central District Congress, as a past corresponding secretary | 13 | | for the Baptist General State Convention
of Illinois | 14 | | (2002-2008), as a past instructor for the Central District | 15 | | Congress, as a past instructor for the Baptist General State | 16 | | Convention of Illinois
(1976-1979), and as a past secretary | 17 | | for the PAMA (Peoria Area Ministerial Association); he also | 18 | | was a former contributing writer to the religious column in | 19 | | the Peoria
Journal Star; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Always looking for ways to make his church and | 21 | | the community more financially grounded, Reverend Alphonso | 22 | | Lyons founded Mount Zions' Effort to Equip the Community | 23 | | (METEC), a community development corporation that provides | 24 | | resources to help families and individuals with housing and | 25 | | employment; he served on METEC's board since its inception in |
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| 1 | | 2001; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Alphonso Lyons was preceded in death by | 3 | | his father and four grandchildren, Jeremiah Hayes, Deshaun | 4 | | Hayes, Jazmine "BJ" Ivy, and Brandon Grant; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Alphonso Lyons is survived by his loving | 6 | | and devoted wife, Charlene Lyons; his children, Devon Lyons, | 7 | | Frank Coates, Willie Coates, Crystal Grant, and Danielle | 8 | | Lyons; his loving mother, Ellora Lyons; his siblings, Michael | 9 | | Lyons, Don (Annie) Lyons, Curtis Lyons, Charla (Rev. James) | 10 | | Fleming, Cheryll (Keith) Boswell, and Ruthi Lyons; his 20 | 11 | | grandchildren; his host of great-grandchildren; his host of | 12 | | nieces and nephews; and his other relatives, friends and the | 13 | | Mount Zion Baptist Church family; therefore, be it
| 14 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 15 | | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 16 | | we mourn the passing of Reverend Alphonso Lyons Jr. and extend | 17 | | our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who | 18 | | knew and loved him; and be it further
| 19 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 20 | | presented to the family of Reverend Alphonso Lyons as an | 21 | | expression of our deepest sympathy.
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