Bill Text: IL HR0956 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourns the death of Pastor Gicele "Gigi" Wray-Lindley.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)

Status: (Passed) 2022-11-30 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Cyril Nichols [HR0956 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-HR0956-Introduced.html

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Pastor
Gicele "Gigi" Wray-Lindley, who passed away on October 1,
2022; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Wray-Lindley was born to Esteban and
Isabel Wray in Colon, Panama on May 28, 1976; as a child, she
attended The Church of Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith,
where she started singing solos by age seven; by age nine, she
started leading praise and worship on Sunday mornings; by age
13, she served as the choir director and youth leader; at the
age of 14, she was a lead soloist in her high school choir; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Wray-Lindley was ordained as an Evangelist
when she was 23; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Wray-Lindley earned her bachelor's degree
in Psychology with a minor in Early Childhood Education from
the University of Illinois at Chicago; she completed her
master's degree in Human Services Administration and most
recently completed a master's degree in Nonprofit Management
and Organizational Leadership; at the time of her passing, she
was pursuing her Doctorate of Education in Ethical Leadership;
and

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WHEREAS, In 2004, Pastor Wray-Lindley founded Shining Star
Youth and Community Services and Shining Star Early Learning
Centers to provide early literacy and family support to
children; under her leadership as CEO, her creation became a
successful multi-center, bilingual child care operation, which
provides quality early learning to 407 children and employs
over 100 people today; and
WHEREAS, In 2014, Pastor Wray-Lindley, along with her
family, founded The Wray Family Foundation to improve the
lives of aspiring community service leaders in need of
mentoring and financial support while pursuing formal
education; and
WHEREAS, In 2015, Pastor Wray-Lindley co-founded Child
Care Advocates United, a non-profit professional organization
for child care providers and early childhood educators in the
State of Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Wray-Lindley and her husband, Omar
Lindley, ministered in several Latin American countries,
including Costa Rica, Peru, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Guatemala,
Panama, and Argentina; they also traveled and ministered in
Brazil, on the African Continent, and in several U.S. states;
in 2017, they launched the bilingual ministry Transformation

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Church International; and
WHEREAS, In 2020, Pastor Wray-Lindley founded Auntie
Gigi's to develop a generation of transformative leaders while
bridging the gap between ministry and the marketplace; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Wray-Lindley helped her daughter,
Serenity, start an anti-labeling initiative by launching a
publishing company, and the company's first published book was
entitled, Stop Calling Me Bossy; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Wray-Lindley is survived by her husband
and her two daughters, Serenity Blessing and Heavenly
Blessing; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we mourn the passing of Pastor Gicele "Gigi" Wray-Lindley and
extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all
who knew and loved her; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to the family of Pastor Wray-Lindley as an
expression of our deepest sympathy.