Full Text of SR1644 99th General Assembly
SR1644 99TH 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 Lester M. Brown of Danville, who passed | 4 | | away on February 29, 2016; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Lester Brown was born in Chicago to Robert L. and | 6 | | Melissa Pauline Dixon Brown on September 1, 1938; he began | 7 | | attending school in Cairo, and then after moving to Danville, | 8 | | he attended Douglas Grade School, graduating 8th grade as class | 9 | | valedictorian; he also attended Danville High School and | 10 | | Danville Area Community College, where he received an Associate | 11 | | Degree in Accounting; he served as a military police officer in | 12 | | the United States Army from 1956 to 1958; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, Lester Brown was employed at the Veterans | 14 | | Administration Hospital and the Internal Revenue Service; | 15 | | after retiring from the Internal Revenue Service, he and his | 16 | | wife opened Brown's Accounting and Tax Service, serving the | 17 | | Danville community for 34 years; he was also employed with East | 18 | | Central Illinois Community Action Agency as Deputy Director; | 19 | | and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Lester Brown served as an Alderman on the Danville | 21 | | City Council from 1987 to 2003; he was the first | 22 | | African-American on the council after a 1987 federal court |
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| 1 | | consent decree established the city's mayor-aldermanic form of | 2 | | government; while on the council, he served two terms as | 3 | | Vice-Mayor; he also served as City Treasurer from 2004 to 2007; | 4 | | and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Lester Brown was a former member of the Danville | 6 | | Rotary Club; the Downtown Danville Rotary Club; Corinthian | 7 | | Lodge #31 F & AM, Prince Hall Affiliated, State of Illinois; | 8 | | the East Central Illinois Community Action Agency Governing | 9 | | Board of Directors; the Danville Housing Authority Board; and | 10 | | Scoutmaster, Troop 302, Laura Lee Fellowship House; he was | 11 | | fundamental in organizing the Boys and Girls Club of Danville, | 12 | | serving on the board for many years; he also served on the | 13 | | Vermilion County Health Center Board and with Habitat for | 14 | | Humanity, and Faith in Action; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, Lester Brown was a former member of the Union | 16 | | Missionary Baptist Church and served as church Treasurer; he | 17 | | was a member of the Carter Metropolitan Christian Methodist | 18 | | Episcopal Church, where he has served as a member of the | 19 | | Steward Board and chaired that board for many years; he was | 20 | | also the drummer in the church band and served on the Chicago | 21 | | District Lay Council; and | 22 | | WHEREAS, Lester Brown received numerous awards and | 23 | | recognitions, including the Silver Beaver Scouting Award, the |
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| 1 | | Paul Harris Fellow Rotarian Award, and the Danville Small | 2 | | Business Award; he was especially proud of being a Scoutmaster | 3 | | and was chosen to be a part of the national committee to revise | 4 | | the Scout Handbook; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Lester Brown loved jazz music and played the drums | 6 | | with the Main Course Jazz Band; he enjoyed cooking, reading, | 7 | | gardening, and fishing with his friend, Carl Alexander; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Lester Brown was preceded in death by his parents; | 9 | | his daughter; 3 brothers; and 2 sisters; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Lester Brown is survived by his wife of 35 years, | 11 | | Brenda Collier Brown; his 5 children, Norvel Colemon, Adam | 12 | | (Emma) Brown, Amy (Anthony) Thomas, Jason Brown, and Leslie | 13 | | (Donnell) Wilson; his grandchildren and great-grandchildren; | 14 | | his adopted children, Paula (Archel) Young, Michael Young, | 15 | | Thomas Morgan, and Kecia (Brian) Mason; his three sisters, | 16 | | Janice Washington, Leoda Brown, and Forgenia (Charles) Smith; | 17 | | and his five brothers, Larry Brown, Wayne Brown, Alvarez | 18 | | Severado, James (Verane) Young, and Marsiellis (Susan) Brown; | 19 | | therefore, be it
| 20 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL | 21 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 22 | | Lester M. Brown, and extend our sincere condolences to his |
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| 1 | | family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | 2 | | further
| 3 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 4 | | presented to the family of Lester Brown as an expression of our | 5 | | deepest sympathy.
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