Bill Text: IL HR0800 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the death of Allen Foster, Jr.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-10-20 - Resolution Adopted [HR0800 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2015-HR0800-Introduced.html
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Rev. | ||||||
4 | Allen Foster, Jr., who passed away on August 1, 2015; and
| ||||||
5 | WHEREAS, Allen Foster, Jr. was born on February 6, 1959 in | ||||||
6 | Chicago, the third child of the union of Jessie Mae
(nee | ||||||
7 | Wilson) and Allen Foster, Sr.; and
| ||||||
8 | WHEREAS, As a child, Allen Foster, Jr. had an insatiable | ||||||
9 | thirst for knowledge and loved to read the World Book | ||||||
10 | Encyclopedia and he readily reported to his family that he was | ||||||
11 | the "smartest" kid in the class; he graduated from Horace Mann
| ||||||
12 | Elementary School and South Shore High School in Chicago; he | ||||||
13 | received his associate degree from Prairie State College; and
| ||||||
14 | WHEREAS, After graduating from high school, Allen Foster, | ||||||
15 | Jr. joined the United States Air Force, serving from 1976 to
| ||||||
16 | 1983; he was honorably discharged with the rank of Staff | ||||||
17 | Sergeant; and
| ||||||
18 | WHEREAS, On December 19, 1979, while stationed at Keeler | ||||||
19 | Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, Allen Foster, Jr. | ||||||
20 | accepted the
Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior; he was called to | ||||||
21 | the ministry in
1980; he was an avid student of the Bible
and |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | the great theologians; he was extremely well-read and an | ||||||
2 | extraordinary preacher; and
| ||||||
3 | WHEREAS, In his 30 years of congregational ministry, Allen | ||||||
4 | Foster, Jr. served as associate minister at various churches,
| ||||||
5 | including Village Bible Church (Park Forest), Christ Temple | ||||||
6 | Community Church (Gary, Indiana), Christ Temple Cathedral
| ||||||
7 | (Chicago), and First Baptist Church (Chicago); he joined | ||||||
8 | Merrill Avenue Baptist Church in 1996, where he served as
| ||||||
9 | Sunday school teacher, evangelism and discipleship leader, | ||||||
10 | Chairman of the Mission Department, and Divorce Care
Leader; he | ||||||
11 | also headed 2 missionary teams to England and Haiti; in 2009, | ||||||
12 | he was ordained by the late Rev. Austin
Smith, Jr. of | ||||||
13 | Compassion Baptist Church (formally Merrill Avenue); while | ||||||
14 | there, he served as an associate and interim
pastor before | ||||||
15 | being elected as senior pastor on December 8, 2013; he | ||||||
16 | sincerely loved his church family and devoted
himself to their | ||||||
17 | care; and
| ||||||
18 | WHEREAS, Allen Foster, Jr.'s keen knowledge of American | ||||||
19 | politics, socio-economics, and world views, both inspired and
| ||||||
20 | challenged others to learn more about the world in which they | ||||||
21 | lived; he was a political pundit to many; his lively commentary
| ||||||
22 | always gave sound perspective on many subjects; and
| ||||||
23 | WHEREAS, Allen Foster, Jr. married Audrey Wesley on August |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | 4, 1990; their children, Allen III, Jaime, and Mary were | ||||||
2 | blessed
with a devoted father; over the years, he and Audrey | ||||||
3 | loved and cared for many others; and
| ||||||
4 | WHEREAS, Allen Foster, Jr. was employed by Peoples Gas | ||||||
5 | Light & Coke Company (Integrys) in Chicago from 1985 to 2014; | ||||||
6 | he
retired from the Gas Operation Department as Senior Service | ||||||
7 | Specialist No. 1; he formed both loyal and lasting
friendships | ||||||
8 | in every area of his life; and
| ||||||
9 | WHEREAS, Allen Foster, Jr. was preceded in death by his | ||||||
10 | parents; his grandfather, Jessie; and his aunt, Faynell; and
| ||||||
11 | WHEREAS, Allen Foster, Jr. is survived by his wife, Audrey; | ||||||
12 | his son, Allen III (and his mother, Patricia Foster Cox); his | ||||||
13 | daughters, Jaime and Mary (Kenny); his siblings, Kim, Renee, | ||||||
14 | Tanya (Kurtray), and Mark; his grandmother, Gertrude; his | ||||||
15 | grandchildren, Antonio (A.J.), Jeremy, Amari, Allen, Aiden, | ||||||
16 | and Ava; his brother-in-law, John (Kimberly); his | ||||||
17 | mother-in-law, Maggie; his father-in-law, John; his aunts and | ||||||
18 | uncles, Joann, Loretta, Debra, and Jerry; and his nieces and | ||||||
19 | nephews, Justin, Kyle, Demi, Constance, Chanelle, Stephaney, | ||||||
20 | Kyle, Dylan, Reagan, and Ryan; therefore, be it
| ||||||
21 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
22 | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | mourn the death of Rev. Allen Foster, Jr. and recognize his | ||||||
2 | life, commitments, and achievements; and be it further
| ||||||
3 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
4 | presented to the family of Allen Foster, Jr. as an expression | ||||||
5 | of our deepest sympathy.
|