Full Text of SR0911 095th General Assembly
SR0911 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 Percy Baker Jr. of Peoria, who passed | 4 |
| away on October 23, 2008; and
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| WHEREAS, Percy Baker Jr. was born March 26, 1950, in | 6 |
| Iverness, Mississippi, to Percy Sr. and Ethel Wilson Baker;
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| Percy was a 1968 graduate of Manual High School, where he sang | 8 |
| with the mixed chorus and participated on the men's basketball | 9 |
| team; he also attended Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa; | 10 |
| he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology in 1972 from | 11 |
| Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, where he played basketball | 12 |
| for the Simpson Redmen; and
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| WHEREAS, Percy enjoyed cooking, which was cultivated by his | 14 |
| first job as a teen with Walkers Catering Service; he later | 15 |
| worked for the Peoria Courthouse as a probation officer, and | 16 |
| for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, | 17 |
| working with at-risk youth and wards of the State; over a | 18 |
| period of 10 years, he was donating service hours to George | 19 |
| Washington Carver Community Center; he was later appointed | 20 |
| executive director of the center and served in that capacity | 21 |
| for 13 years; and
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| WHEREAS, He initiated the following programs: Toy Shoe |
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| Drive, Biddy Basketball, Carver Senior Club, After-School | 2 |
| Program, Summer Camp, Head Start Program, Cocaine Anonymous, | 3 |
| Turbo Kick, IRS Tax Counseling Project, and the Kings of | 4 |
| Court;his total service to Carver accumulated 32 years; his | 5 |
| work as an advocate, volunteer, and going into the community, | 6 |
| led to his appointment as the upcoming volunteer chapter | 7 |
| director for the African-American Task Force for the Gift of | 8 |
| Hope; and
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| WHEREAS, Percy was a member of Heavens View Christian | 10 |
| Fellowship Church, where he sang with the Men of Vision; he | 11 |
| possessed a deep devotion to the public and was active in the | 12 |
| community, serving on many committees; Mr. Baker was a past | 13 |
| president and current board member of the AmerenCILCO Customer | 14 |
| Advisory Council; he served on the council for 13 years; he | 15 |
| also served on the Senior Citizens Commission for three years | 16 |
| and participated on the ICC Minority Recruitment & Retention | 17 |
| Committee; and
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| WHEREAS, Percy dedicated his life to helping others and was | 19 |
| recognized by the many awards and honors he was given, | 20 |
| including the 2008 Illinois Central College Role Model Award, | 21 |
| the 2008 National Association of Social Workers Public Citizen | 22 |
| of the Year Award, the 2007 Community Outreach Award, the 2007 | 23 |
| Peoria Branch NAACP Civil Rights Award, the 2004 Wilson Lodge | 24 |
| #24 Men of Vision Leadership Award, the 2002 George Washington |
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| Carver Community Center Appreciation Award, the 2001 Martin | 2 |
| Luther King Jr. Honoree Award for Continued Community Service, | 3 |
| the 2001 Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major Award for Community | 4 |
| Service, the 2000 DCFS One Church, One Child Award for | 5 |
| Outstanding Service to Inner City Youth, the 1999 Sigma Gamma | 6 |
| Rho Image Award for Building a Better Community, the 1988 JC | 7 |
| Penny Golden Rule Award for Exceptional Volunteer Service, and | 8 |
| the 1997 Unshackled Annual Impact Award; and | 9 |
| WHEREAS, In 1995, he was inducted into the Afro Hall of | 10 |
| Fame Museum;
Percy enjoyed coaching youth at Father Sweeney | 11 |
| School, assisting with the Gus Macker tournament, and lending | 12 |
| his talents as an emcee to the River City Soul Fest and the | 13 |
| Gospel Jubilee; and | 14 |
| WHEREAS, As a speaker in the school system, he was always | 15 |
| willing and available to speak to Peoria's youth to encourage | 16 |
| them to stay on the right path; Percy created and was | 17 |
| commentator of the B Word, a talk radio program which dealt | 18 |
| with current issues affecting the African-American community | 19 |
| in Peoria; he became an advocate of organ donation, taking | 20 |
| speaking engagements to stress its importance to area youth and | 21 |
| the African-American community; and his legacy will live on as | 22 |
| bone marrow and other organs have been donated to save the | 23 |
| lives of others; and
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| WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his mother; one | 2 |
| brother, Lawrence; and one sister, Lela; and
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| WHEREAS, Percy Baker Jr. leaves to cherish his memory his | 4 |
| father, Percy Baker Sr.; his fiancee, Denise Parker; his two | 5 |
| sons, Lawrence Luse Baker and Desmond Baker; his three sisters, | 6 |
| Mattie Baker, Mary Ann Baker, and Mildred Smith; his brother, | 7 |
| David Baker; and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, | 8 |
| nephews, family members, and friends; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | 10 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with | 11 |
| his family and friends, the passing of Percy Baker Jr.; and be | 12 |
| it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 14 |
| presented to the family of Percy Baker Jr. as a symbol of our | 15 |
| sincere sympathy.
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