Full Text of SR0458 095th General Assembly
SR0458 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 |
| learn of the death of
John "J.D." Edwards, who passed away on | 4 |
| November 8, 2007; and
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| WHEREAS, John Edwards was born on January 11, 1930 in | 6 |
| Sunflower County, Mississippi; his parents were Clara and | 7 |
| Shalmus Edwards Sr.; he married his high school sweetheart, | 8 |
| Erma Lee Black, in 1950; and
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| WHEREAS, John Edwards developed a love of music as a child | 10 |
| in the 1940's when he learned to play the saxophone; his love | 11 |
| of music led him to a music scholarship to Jackson State | 12 |
| College in Jackson, Mississippi; and
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| WHEREAS, John Edwards moved with his wife to Chicago in | 14 |
| 1952; shortly after his move to Chicago, he gained employment | 15 |
| with the Belt Railroad Company, where he served as a switchman | 16 |
| for 12 years; and
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| WHEREAS, After his tenure with the Belt Railroad Company, | 18 |
| John Edwards began a new career as an agent, then as a manager, | 19 |
| with the National Life Insurance Company; he was honored as a | 20 |
| "Millionaire Salesman" for 10 consecutive years during his | 21 |
| career there; and
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| WHEREAS, In 1974, John Edwards retired from the National | 2 |
| Life Insurance Company and opened a retail clothing business, | 3 |
| which still provides a valuable service to the Roseland | 4 |
| community after 33 successful years; and | 5 |
| WHEREAS, John Edwards was actively involved in many | 6 |
| community organizations; he served as Chairman of the Board of | 7 |
| Directors for the Chicago South Chambers of Commerce; he was | 8 |
| the founder and president of the Roseland Business Development | 9 |
| Council, serving from 1979 until his death; he was the | 10 |
| treasurer of the Board of Trustees for Roseland Community | 11 |
| Hospital from 1988 until 1999; he also served as vice-president | 12 |
| of the Neighborhood Housing Service of Chicago in Roseland | 13 |
| until his death, among many other organizations he served | 14 |
| during his lifetime; and | 15 |
| WHEREAS, John Edwards was the recipient of many awards in | 16 |
| recognition of his many contributions to the community; he was | 17 |
| the recipient of the Top Hat Club Award from 1973 to 1983, the | 18 |
| Hometown Hero Award in 2003, and the 2006 Chicago Senior | 19 |
| Citizen Hall of Fame Award; and | 20 |
| WHEREAS, John Edwards was preceded in death by his parents, | 21 |
| Clara and Shalmus Edwards Sr., and his wife, Erma Lee Black; | 22 |
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| WHEREAS, John Edwards is survived by his children, | 2 |
| Gwendolyn Edwards-Osborne, Clara Lavizzo, John Edwards Jr., | 3 |
| and LeDall Edwards; his grandchildren, Janeen Osborne, Timiko | 4 |
| Lavizzo, Andrea Osborne, John Edwards III, and Leda Edwards; | 5 |
| his 8 great-grandchildren; and his many nieces, nephews, | 6 |
| relatives, and friends; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | 8 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with | 9 |
| his family and friends, the passing of John Edwards; and be it | 10 |
| further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 12 |
| presented to the family of John Edwards as an expression of our | 13 |
| sympathy.
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