Full Text of HR1237 097th General Assembly
HR1237 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | HR1237 | | LRB097 23059 GRL 71871 r |
|
| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives have learned with much sadness of the passage | 4 | | of a great friend and special contributor to the history of the | 5 | | Illinois General Assembly, William J. "Bill" O'Connell of | 6 | | Peoria; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, It would not be an exaggeration or bring an | 8 | | objection from any corner to say that Bill O'Connell is one of | 9 | | a kind, an institutional legend, or an old-time reporter; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, During his more than 60 years covering politics | 11 | | and government for the Peoria Journal Star, Bill O'Connell was | 12 | | always credited with faithfully keeping his | 13 | | mythical-but-typical readers "Grace and Elmer" fully informed | 14 | | with crisp, unvarnished reporting; he mentored hundreds of | 15 | | journalists young and old from all regions of this State, | 16 | | saving more than a few officials from blunders and never | 17 | | missing an opportunity to help Peoria benefit from every bill | 18 | | that passed through the legislative process; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, Bill O'Connell received numerous awards and | 20 | | honors during his career, including the 1986 Illinois | 21 | | Journalist of the Year award and awards from the American | 22 | | Political Science Association, the Associated Press, and the |
| | | HR1237 | - 2 - | LRB097 23059 GRL 71871 r |
|
| 1 | | Illinois Education Association; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, While proud of his journalistic achievements, | 3 | | Bill O'Connell did not shy away from the published accounts | 4 | | that also credited him as the inspiration for funding the | 5 | | downstate civic center construction program and with being one | 6 | | of the surest translators of the often incomprehensible | 7 | | dialects spoken by the inhabitants of Chicago, Cook County, and | 8 | | downstate Illinois; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Perhaps the true uniqueness of Bill O'Connell's | 10 | | persona was exemplified at the time of his 1996 retirement from | 11 | | the Peoria Journal Star, when Lee A. Daniels, then Speaker of | 12 | | the House of Representatives, and Michael J. Madigan, House | 13 | | Democratic Leader, cosponsored Bill's retirement resolution | 14 | | during the somewhat tumultuous 89th General Assembly; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, The one-of-a-kind moments continued when Illinois | 16 | | Senate President Philip J. Rock fought foggy weather to reach | 17 | | Springfield and come to the floor of the Illinois Senate to | 18 | | speak and describe Bill O'Connell as "as man whose integrity we | 19 | | should all salute"; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, During this time of sadness, we ask all who knew | 21 | | and loved Bill O'Connell to remember the happier moments in his | 22 | | life and to reach out in their own way to ask for strength and |
| | | HR1237 | - 3 - | LRB097 23059 GRL 71871 r |
|
| 1 | | comfort for his wife, Helen; their children, Kelly, Molly, Tom, | 2 | | Tim, David, and William; their 12 grandchildren; and their 3 | 3 | | great-grandchildren; therefore, be it
| 4 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 5 | | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 6 | | we mourn the passing of William J. "Bill" O'Connell, offer our | 7 | | deepest sympathies to his families and friends, and affirm that | 8 | | the State of Illinois and its people are better because of his | 9 | | contributions, and fondly remember his great character, wit, | 10 | | and wisdom; and be it further
| 11 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 12 | | presented to the family of Bill O'Connell as an expression of | 13 | | our sympathy.
|
|