Full Text of SR1189 101st General Assembly
SR1189 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 Robert Earl "Bob" Trotter, who passed | 4 | | away on November 21, 2019; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Bob Trotter was born on November 30, 1955; he | 6 | | contracted polio at nine months but
never let that stop him; he | 7 | | graduated from Spaulding High
School and from the University of | 8 | | Illinois, where he received his bachelor's degree in | 9 | | therapeutic recreation and starred for the Gizz Kids as a | 10 | | forward all four years; he received his varsity letter in 1978; | 11 | | he went on
to earn a master's degree in occupational therapy; | 12 | | and | 13 | | WHEREAS, Bob Trotter began working for the Therapeutic | 14 | | Recreation Department at Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County; | 15 | | after a few years, he moved into a similar position at the | 16 | | Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), where he developed | 17 | | its wheelchair sports program; he developed the city's first | 18 | | youth wheelchair basketball team, the RIC Dawgs, and the first | 19 | | tournaments for youth in the mid-1980s; he was instrumental in | 20 | | the development of the Inaugural Junior National Wheelchair | 21 | | Basketball Tournament in Munster, Indiana in 1993; and
| 22 | | WHEREAS, Bob Trotter's post-collegiate playing career |
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| 1 | | spanned over 15 years with the Chicago Pacemakers; the Chicago | 2 | | Sun-Times and the Chicago Morning Defender followed his games
| 3 | | and named him athlete of the year; and | 4 | | WHEREAS, Bob Trotter was the father of wheelchair | 5 | | basketball in Chicago and the State of Illinois and a great | 6 | | friend of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association | 7 | | (NWBA); his efforts in developing opportunities for youth with | 8 | | disabilities laid the foundation for the NWBA Junior Division; | 9 | | because of his efforts, many alumni of his program earned a | 10 | | college degree and went on to rewarding careers; he was | 11 | | inducted into the NWBA Intercollegiate Division Hall of Fame in | 12 | | 2003; he was a gregarious, giving person and used his personal | 13 | | charm, wit, and humor to overcome any obstacle when it came to | 14 | | ensuring that inner-city kids and young adults would have the | 15 | | opportunity to play wheelchair basketball; from 1982 to 2002, | 16 | | everyone in Chicago who played or coached wheelchair basketball | 17 | | was touched in some positive way by his presence; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, Bob Trotter was affectionately known as "Uncle | 19 | | Bobby"; he enjoyed camping, sports, and a libation now and | 20 | | then; he was baptized at the Soul Reviving Church and joined | 21 | | the Sweet Holy
Spirit Church in 1982; and
| 22 | | WHEREAS, Bob Trotter was preceded in death by his nephew, | 23 | | Allen Willis II; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Bob Trotter is survived by his sister, Constance; | 2 | | his brothers, Pastor Ronald (Marilyn)
and Bishop Larry D. | 3 | | Trotter; his cousin, Arthur; his adopted sisters, Dianne | 4 | | Clemmons and Gloria Robinson; his aunt, Ada Brown; and his | 5 | | nephews and nieces, Latrice Inez, Laurice Deymein, Javon Denen, | 6 | | Antwan, Brandi Lavcretia, Larry D. Trotter II, Jolie, Joie,
| 7 | | Robbin (Tremaine) Nicole, Jaliel, Tianna, Philip, and | 8 | | Tiashawn; therefore, be it
| 9 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 10 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 11 | | Robert Earl "Bob" Trotter and extend our sincere condolences to | 12 | | his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | 13 | | further
| 14 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 15 | | presented to the family of Bob Trotter as an expression of our | 16 | | deepest sympathy.
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