Bill Text: IL HR0544 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the passing of John Willis Johnson.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-01-16 - Resolution Adopted [HR0544 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-HR0544-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of John | ||||||
4 | Willis Johnson, who passed away on December 18, 2023; and
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5 | WHEREAS, John Johnson was born to Chester Johnson and | ||||||
6 | Clorine McGilberry in Ellisville, Mississippi on February 10, | ||||||
7 | 1944; he attended Roosevelt Elementary School in Ellis; after | ||||||
8 | moving to St. Louis with his mother and siblings, he continued | ||||||
9 | his education in the St. Louis public school system; he | ||||||
10 | graduated from Soldan High School in 1964, where he lettered | ||||||
11 | in basketball, tennis, and baseball; he briefly attended | ||||||
12 | Culver Stockton College; he married Shirley Jean Smith on May | ||||||
13 | 30, 1965; and
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14 | WHEREAS, John Johnson worked at Mallinckrodt/Tyco/Covidien | ||||||
15 | from April 1965 until his retirement in July 2010; and
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16 | WHEREAS, John Johnson was a union advocate and held | ||||||
17 | several positions during his career, including shop steward, | ||||||
18 | vice president, and president of UAW Local 1887; he went to | ||||||
19 | Washington, D.C. with Jim Wells, then-director of UAW Region | ||||||
20 | 5, to testify before Congress on plant safety issues; and
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21 | WHEREAS, John Johnson played basketball in both industrial |
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1 | and independent leagues for more than 20 years; he then | ||||||
2 | volunteered his services as assistant coach of the Beaumont | ||||||
3 | High School Varsity Basketball Team alongside his friend Bob | ||||||
4 | Cole, the program's head coach; and
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5 | WHEREAS, John Johnson committed to his faith at an early | ||||||
6 | age; he was baptized at Mount Aid Missionary Baptist Church, | ||||||
7 | which was built by his grandfather, John, and other family | ||||||
8 | members in 1885 and still has an active church community | ||||||
9 | today; at Mount Aid, he was active in the Baptist Training | ||||||
10 | Union and the Sunday School, where he served as superintendent | ||||||
11 | as a pre-teen; he also attended Douglas Chapel AME, where his | ||||||
12 | father served as a deacon; after moving to St. Louis, he became | ||||||
13 | a member of Zion Temple Missionary Baptist Church; he and his | ||||||
14 | wife established a membership at West Side Missionary Baptist | ||||||
15 | Church; and
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16 | WHEREAS, John Johnson's love for his family was vitally | ||||||
17 | important to him, and he was an avid supporter and leader of | ||||||
18 | the annual McGilberry Family Reunions from 1982 to 2023; and
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19 | WHEREAS, John Johnson was preceded in death by his wife of | ||||||
20 | 57 years, Shirley; his parents, Chester Johnson and Clorine | ||||||
21 | McGilberry McCann; his sister, Shirley Keyes; his brothers, | ||||||
22 | Teddy Johnson, Clarence McCann, and Gerald McCann; his | ||||||
23 | in-laws, Leslie and Beulah M. Smith, Lester Smith, Laura |
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1 | Trice, and Howard and Hurletta Davidson; and
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2 | WHEREAS, John Johnson is survived by his sons, Anthony | ||||||
3 | (Angelita) Johnson and Terrell Washington; his grandchildren, | ||||||
4 | Ciara, Jameelah, and Khairi; his great-grandson Jourdyn; his | ||||||
5 | aunt, Zemma Conner; his sisters, Fannie Simpson, Carolyn Reed, | ||||||
6 | and Ruth (Charles) McGee; his brothers, George (Marian) | ||||||
7 | McGilberry, Larry McCann, and James H. Johnson; his | ||||||
8 | sister-in-law, Christine (Carl) Williams Jr.; his | ||||||
9 | brother-in-law, Charles (Christy) Smith Sr.; and a host of | ||||||
10 | nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends; therefore, be it
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11 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
12 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
13 | we mourn the passing of John Willis Johnson and extend our | ||||||
14 | sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew | ||||||
15 | and loved him; and be it further
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