Full Text of SR0563 101st General Assembly
SR0563 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 | | learn of the death of Nathan "Nate" "Bobo" Smalls Jr. of | 4 | | Danville, who passed away on July 9, 2019; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Nate Smalls was born in Chatham County in | 6 | | Savannah, Georgia to Nathan and Loretta Smalls; he moved to | 7 | | Danville in 1969 after meeting his wife, Anita, at Danville | 8 | | Stadium; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Nate Smalls was a star pitcher for the | 10 | | Indianapolis Clowns, a team in the last Negro Baseball | 11 | | Barnstorming League, from 1965 until 1986; in one legendary | 12 | | game, he sent all of his fielders to the dugout and proceeded | 13 | | to strike out the side; during barnstorming tours, he and his | 14 | | teammates pooled their $3-per-person-per-day meal allowance to | 15 | | buy enough bread, bologna, and peanut butter to feed everyone; | 16 | | and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, When his baseball days were over, Nate Smalls | 18 | | remained in Danville and worked at a grain-processing plant for | 19 | | 34 years; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Nate Smalls was known as one of the Three Kings of | 21 | | Peace, a trio of men who worked together to reduce violence in |
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| 1 | | city schools and the community; the group got its start by | 2 | | organizing regular peace marches in troubled neighborhoods, | 3 | | asking young people to choose peace over violence; during the | 4 | | school year, the Three Kings of Peace made frequent visits to | 5 | | North Ridge Middle and South View Upper Elementary schools and | 6 | | eventually Danville High School, monitoring the students and | 7 | | encouraging them to make positive choices in life; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Nate Smalls was one of the primary organizers of a | 9 | | summer basketball league for young people at Garfield Park, and | 10 | | two basketball courts were dedicated in his honor; he | 11 | | volunteered to run the gymnasium at the Boys and Girls Club, | 12 | | and when the Club's basketball league started, he served as a | 13 | | coach and volunteer referee; he will best be remembered as an | 14 | | ambassador of peace for the young people of Vermilion County; | 15 | | and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, Nate Smalls was preceded in death by his parents; | 17 | | his daughter, Lukresia; his grandson, Nathan; his | 18 | | great-granddaughter, Na'ryah; his brother, James Robe; and his | 19 | | sister, Haddie Mae Thomas; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Nate Smalls is survived by his wife, Anita; his | 21 | | daughters, Dana Williams, Leslie (Tyrone) Dunbar, and Breya | 22 | | McGrown; his son, Darwin Baxter; his sisters-in-law, Bea Brown, | 23 | | Ellen Brooks, Bertha Brandon, and Alice (Lee) Shields; his |
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| 1 | | favorite aunt, Angie Robe, and uncle, Johnnie Brown; his aunts, | 2 | | Patricia Ann Rutledge and Roslyn Robe; and many nieces, | 3 | | nephews, cousins, friends, and loved ones; therefore, be it
| 4 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 5 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 6 | | Nathan "Nate" "Bobo" Smalls Jr. and extend our sincere | 7 | | condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved | 8 | | him; and be it further
| 9 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 10 | | presented to the family of Nate Smalls as an expression of our | 11 | | deepest sympathy.
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