Bill Text: IL HR0873 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the death of James M. "Jim" Kelly Sr.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Placed on Calendar Agreed Resolutions [HR0873 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-HR0873-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 James M. | ||||||
| 4 | "Jim" Kelly Sr., who passed away on May 30, 2024; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly, a World War II veteran and Urbana | ||||||
| 6 | firefighter, gave his entire life to public service for his | ||||||
| 7 | local community and county; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly, one of nine children, was born to | ||||||
| 9 | Timothy Milton Kelly and Ruth Blythe Frazier Kelly in Findlay | ||||||
| 10 | on December 29, 1921; the family moved to Urbana in 1925; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly graduated from Urbana High School in | ||||||
| 12 | 1940 and started working for the P & E Railroad Company; | ||||||
| 13 | however, with the United States' entry into World War II in | ||||||
| 14 | 1941, he immediately registered for the draft but was denied | ||||||
| 15 | due to his job being declared essential; and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly petitioned the railroad company to | ||||||
| 17 | release him multiple times throughout the war, and on January | ||||||
| 18 | 1, 1944, he was officially released and eligible to register | ||||||
| 19 | for the draft, which he gladly did; and
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| 20 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly married his high school sweetheart, | ||||||
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| 1 | Leila Mae Roughton, on July 8, 1944 in Los Angeles, California | ||||||
| 2 | prior to beginning his service; and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly affectionately called Leila his "Rosie | ||||||
| 4 | the Riveter" because she worked on the assembly line | ||||||
| 5 | manufacturing airplanes to be used in the war while waiting | ||||||
| 6 | for him to return home; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly joined the United States Marine Corps | ||||||
| 8 | and was stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, where he was | ||||||
| 9 | assigned to the Fifth Service Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment | ||||||
| 10 | of the 5th Marine Division, with the next stop being the Battle | ||||||
| 11 | of Iwo Jima; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly fought valiantly for his country for | ||||||
| 13 | the entire 36-day battle; he sadly lost his close friend and | ||||||
| 14 | fellow Urbana High School classmate, Richard L. Pittman, on | ||||||
| 15 | February 21, 1945 and three of his service battalion buddies | ||||||
| 16 | in the battle when they were hit by a mortar round as the four | ||||||
| 17 | of them were delivering ammunitions and supplies to the front; | ||||||
| 18 | and
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| 19 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly returned home to Urbana on May 10, 1946 | ||||||
| 20 | and began his career and family, welcoming a daughter, Cheryl | ||||||
| 21 | Ann "CJ" Johnson, and a son, James Milton Kelly II; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly and Leila retired and eventually became | ||||||
| 2 | snowbirds, staying in the Tropic Isles Mobile Home Park in | ||||||
| 3 | Palmetto, Florida from November to April; and
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| 4 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly's fondest memories throughout his life | ||||||
| 5 | were caddying for Horton Smith, the first Master's champion, | ||||||
| 6 | in 1932, and getting a beer from his favorite actor, John | ||||||
| 7 | Wayne, at Laguna Beach, California; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly was a strong supporter of the World War | ||||||
| 9 | II Memorial in Washington, D.C. and The National World War II | ||||||
| 10 | Museum in New Orleans and a lifetime member of the VFW, | ||||||
| 11 | American Legion, Masons, and the Marine Corps League; he also | ||||||
| 12 | belonged to the Elks Club for 40 years; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly has been recognized for various | ||||||
| 14 | accomplishments by State Senator Stan Weaver, U.S. | ||||||
| 15 | Representative Tim Johnson, Governor Dwight Green, Governor | ||||||
| 16 | James Thompson, Governor George Ryan, Secretary of State Jesse | ||||||
| 17 | White, President Donald Trump, and President Joe Biden; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly was preceded in death by his wife of 66 | ||||||
| 19 | years, Leila; his parents; his brothers, Elston Ward, Walter | ||||||
| 20 | Kendall, Paul Tyrus, and Robert Walker; his sisters, Ola | ||||||
| 21 | Margorine, Ione Imogene, Eleanor Ruth, and Marjoorie Geneese; | ||||||
| 22 | his son-in-law, Ken Johnson; and his daughter in-law, Anita | ||||||
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| 1 | Morris; and
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| 2 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly is survived by his children, Cheryl Ann | ||||||
| 3 | "CJ" Johnson and James Milton Kelly II; his grandchildren, | ||||||
| 4 | Kelly (Eric) Johnson, Kevin (Brandon) Bowersox-Johnson, Jaime | ||||||
| 5 | Hagg, and Kathrine (Erik) Hagerman; and his | ||||||
| 6 | great-grandchildren, Abigayl, Parker, Bryce, Samantha, | ||||||
| 7 | Garrett, Aneela, and Erik Jr.; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Jim Kelly's service and dedication will be | ||||||
| 9 | remembered by all who knew and loved him as we sadly lose | ||||||
| 10 | another hero from the World War II generation; therefore, be | ||||||
| 11 | it
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| 12 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 13 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 14 | we mourn the passing of James M. "Jim" Kelly Sr. and extend our | ||||||
| 15 | sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew | ||||||
| 16 | and loved him; and be it further
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