Full Text of SR0112 94th General Assembly
SR0112 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois | 3 |
| learned with sadness of the death of Joliet Township Trustee | 4 |
| Rudolph "Rudy" J. Pucel on March 8, 2005; and
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| WHEREAS, Rudy Pucel lived a vigorous 84 years of life; he | 6 |
| was a retired salesman who had served as a Joliet Township | 7 |
| Trustee since 1985; he was a former Township Collector and | 8 |
| Democratic Committeeman in Precinct #26, and he served as the | 9 |
| first honorary mayor of the Slovenian Grape Harvest Festival; | 10 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. Pucel was born January 26, 1921, in Pueblo, | 12 |
| Colorado; he was the fifth child of ten to Joseph and Anna (nee | 13 |
| Bencic) Pucel; he was baptized at St. Joseph Church in Pueblo, | 14 |
| and moved to Joliet in 1925 at the age of four; he married | 15 |
| Mildred Erjavec on September 3, 1949, at Joseph Catholic Church | 16 |
| in Joliet; and
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| WHEREAS, He was a graduate of St. Joseph Parochial School, | 18 |
| where he was a member of the school band, and attended Joliet | 19 |
| Township High School; he was a Sergeant with the 371st Army | 20 |
| Engineers and served for three and a half years in the European | 21 |
| Theatre during WWII; he was the recipient of one service | 22 |
| stripe, three overseas service bars, American Campaign Medal, | 23 |
| European-African-Middle Eastern Theatre ribbon with four | 24 |
| Bronze Battle Stars, the Good Conduct Medal, Meritorious Unit | 25 |
| Award, and the WWII Victory Medal; he worked for Trackman Auto, | 26 |
| Hills Auto Supply, Bardahl Oil, and Bowman Distribution-Barnes | 27 |
| Group, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio and Bristol, Connecticut; he was | 28 |
| an independent Sales Agent and Sales Representative for 25 | 29 |
| years; he was appointed National Account Manager in the | 30 |
| Midwestern and Central States in 1978, as well as Area Manager | 31 |
| and Sales Trainer, and was "Man of the Year"; he retired in | 32 |
| 1993; and
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| WHEREAS, He was a charter member and organizer for the | 2 |
| American Legion Post #1080; he was Commander of the Post from | 3 |
| 1952-1953 and Will County Commander from 1958-1959; he served | 4 |
| the American Legion on numerous committees in Will County, as | 5 |
| well as the District and State levels; he was a 35-year member | 6 |
| of the Joliet American Legion National Championship Band where | 7 |
| he served as Captain of the Color Guard; he held various | 8 |
| offices, spearheaded many fundraising programs, and assisted | 9 |
| in arranging trips throughout the United States; he also | 10 |
| assisted the Navy and Marine Corps in various fundraising | 11 |
| projects, which kept them financially sound; and
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| WHEREAS, He was a member of KSKJ American Slovenian | 13 |
| Catholic Union, St. Joseph Lodge #2, where he was | 14 |
| Vice-President from 1961-1984, President from 1964-1992, and | 15 |
| Treasurer from 1993-2000; he was organizer and President of the | 16 |
| Joliet KSKJ Lodges from 1967-1987, President of Illinois | 17 |
| Federation of KSKJ Lodges from 1970-1987, and member of the | 18 |
| National Board-Executive Committee from 1970-1990; he was | 19 |
| organizer of the Associated Clubs of Greater Joliet and held | 20 |
| numerous leadership positions with other Associated Clubs of | 21 |
| Greater Joliet, as well as the March of Dimes (a volunteer for | 22 |
| 50 years) and the Joliet Chamber of Commerce; and
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| WHEREAS, He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church | 24 |
| since 1926; he was a member of the church's Holy Name Society | 25 |
| and a committee member since the early 70s; in 1976, he aided | 26 |
| in forming the new church council, was a member since 1979, and | 27 |
| President of St. Joseph Church Council from 1977 to 1980; he | 28 |
| established funds for the redecorating of the church sanctuary | 29 |
| and church; he helped organize fundraising programs in 1976 and | 30 |
| 1977 for the purpose of renovating St. Joseph Park facilities | 31 |
| which included the hall, cemetery, and baseball diamond; he was | 32 |
| a life member of the American Legion Post #1080 (one of the | 33 |
| organizers), life member of VFW Cantigny Post #367, member of |
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| the Northwest Recreation Club, Old Timers Baseball Association | 2 |
| and its Co-Chairman Membership Committee, member of Knights of | 3 |
| Columbus Council #4400 Baraga Association, and AARP; and
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| WHEREAS, He will be remembered as serving the public all of | 5 |
| his life and doing what was right for the community; he was | 6 |
| very dedicated to helping people; and
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| WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph | 8 |
| Sr., and Anna; three brothers, Joseph Jr., John, and Edward; | 9 |
| three sisters, Jule (late Frank) Setina, Mayme (late Joseph) | 10 |
| Baczuk, and Ann (late Charles) Setina; and a brother-in-law, | 11 |
| George Toth; and
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| WHEREAS, The passing of Rudy Pucel is felt by all who knew | 13 |
| and loved him, especially his loving wife, Mildred; his sons, | 14 |
| Christopher Michael (Judy, nee Maloney), Philip Gregory | 15 |
| (Christine, nee Olson), Rudy Thomas, and Victor Joseph (Jean, | 16 |
| nee Rehdantz) Pucel; his four grandsons, Eric Joseph (Courtney, | 17 |
| nee O'Brien), Zachary John, Nicholas James, and Benjamin Joseph | 18 |
| Pucel; his granddaughter, Rachel Anna Pucel; his sister, Elsie | 19 |
| Toth; his sisters-in-law, Toni Pucel and Pollyanna Pucel; and | 20 |
| his nieces and nephews, including Ron Setina; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL | 22 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 23 |
| Rudolph "Rudy" J. Pucel and honor his exemplary life and legacy | 24 |
| of volunteerism and community service; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 26 |
| presented to his family as an expression of our deepest | 27 |
| sympathy.
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