Full Text of SR1005 103rd General Assembly
SR1005 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | | SR1005 | | LRB103 40777 MST 73616 r |
|
| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION | 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | 3 | | to learn of the death of Willis Gamble Johnson of Downers | 4 | | Grove, who passed away on August 16, 2023 at the age of 86; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Willis Johnson was a lifelong resident of Downers | 6 | | Grove and was born to Elizabeth Gable and Willis "Abbot" | 7 | | Johnson on January 11, 1937; and | 8 | | WHEREAS, Willis Johnson graduated from Downers Grove | 9 | | Community High School in 1955 and continued his education at | 10 | | Western Michigan University, graduating in 1959; early in his | 11 | | career, he served as a sergeant in the Army National Guard | 12 | | before working at International Harvester as a time study | 13 | | engineer; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, Willis Johnson founded Johnson Printers with his | 15 | | brother, Ross, before becoming co-founder and president of | 16 | | Classic Cinemas/Tivoli Enterprises, which has grown to include | 17 | | 16 theater locations, including the historic Tivoli in Downers | 18 | | Grove; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, Willis Johnson's strong work ethic and relentless | 20 | | dedication helped grow Classic Cinemas into the largest movie | 21 | | theater chain based in Illinois; he adored restoring old |
| | | SR1005 | - 2 - | LRB103 40777 MST 73616 r |
|
| 1 | | buildings and converting them into valuable additions to the | 2 | | surrounding community; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, Willis Johnson always prioritized community | 4 | | involvement and was very active in business, historic, and | 5 | | civic organizations in Downers Grove, Elmhurst, Oak Park, and | 6 | | other towns where he owned theaters; and | 7 | | WHEREAS, Willis Johnson received countless honors for his | 8 | | service, including being inducted into the Elmhurst Civic Hall | 9 | | of Fame in 2002 and being chosen as Downers Grove Citizen of | 10 | | the Year in 2010; he and his wife, Shirley, were honored by the | 11 | | Downers Grove Historical Society as Historians of the Year in | 12 | | 2023 and were featured in a documentary film entitled History | 13 | | Happens Here: The Tivoli Theater; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, Willis Johnson was proud to have his son, Chris, | 15 | | continue the legacy of the company he helped build; he also | 16 | | served as a past president of the National Association of | 17 | | Theater Owners of Illinois; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, In his youth, Willis Johnson loved cars and was | 19 | | known around town for his sky blue 1937 Ford with a white | 20 | | leather interior, a car which he fixed and customized; in his | 21 | | later years, he appreciated the beauty of flowers, frequently | 22 | | incorporating landscaping along theater entries, parking lots, |
| | | SR1005 | - 3 - | LRB103 40777 MST 73616 r |
|
| 1 | | and his own yard; and | 2 | | WHEREAS, Willis Johnson enjoyed weekends at Lake Holiday | 3 | | with his family and had an extensive collection of Lego sets | 4 | | that he liked to build in his spare time; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Willis Johnson was preceded in death by his | 6 | | sister, Sara Homberg, and his brother-in-law, Robert Griffin; | 7 | | and | 8 | | WHEREAS, Willis Johnson is survived by his wife of 46 | 9 | | years, Shirley; his children, Stephen Johnson, Kay Johnson, | 10 | | Chris Johnson, Wendy Leick, and Amy Balicki; his stepchildren, | 11 | | Mary Reichl and Richard Winters; and his 14 grandchildren; | 12 | | therefore, be it | 13 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | 14 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 15 | | Willis Gamble Johnson and extend our sincere condolences to | 16 | | his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | 17 | | further | 18 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 19 | | presented to the family of Willis Johnson as an expression of | 20 | | our deepest sympathy. |
|