Bill Text: IL HR1262 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Mourns the death of George Pradel of Naperville.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2018-11-13 - Resolution Adopted [HR1262 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-HR1262-Introduced.html


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HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Naperville icon, A. George Pradel, passed from
3this life on September 4, 2018, one day before his 81st
4birthday; and
5 WHEREAS, George Pradel was born in Hyde Park, but was a
6lifelong resident of Naperville after his family moved to town
7in 1939 when he was two; and
8 WHEREAS, George Pradel graduated from Naperville Community
9High School and then served his country and community in the
10U.S. Marine Corps; and
11 WHEREAS, Upon returning to Naperville, George Pradel began
12working for the Naperville Police Department in 1966, where he
13quickly earned the nickname Officer Friendly for his love of
14visiting local schools and teaching children about safety; and
15 WHEREAS, To bring his safety message home to local
16children, George Pradel founded Safety Town in 1977, a
17miniature village dedicated to teaching about pedestrian,
18bike, and railroad safety; and
19 WHEREAS, Young George Pradel met Patricia Burke on a set-up
20put together by his sister; they fell in love and were married

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1in 1966; and
2 WHEREAS, George Pradel retired from the Naperville Police
3Department as a Lieutenant when he was elected to his first
4term as Mayor of Naperville in 1995; and
5 WHEREAS, George Pradel served 20 years as Mayor of
6Naperville, becoming the city's longest-serving mayor; and
7 WHEREAS, During his tenure, Mayor George Pradel was a
8tireless champion for his hometown; and
9 WHEREAS, To meet his growing city's needs, George Pradel
10helped create Naperville's Senior Task Force and new city
11positions of Chairman of Chinese Outreach and Chairmen of
12Indian Outreach; and
13 WHEREAS, With safety always a paramount concern, as Mayor,
14George Pradel swore in or promoted 371 officers to the
15Naperville Police Department; and
16 WHEREAS, George Pradel never ceased his work on behalf of
17local children, helping bring the DuPage Children's Museum to
18the city and participating in anti-cyberbullying videos; and
19 WHEREAS, Mayor George Pradel was devoted to all in the

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1Naperville community and participated annually in many events
2for charities and health campaigns; he recruited children to
3ride in his Big Wheel Brigade which participated in holiday
4parades; and
5 WHEREAS, Upon leaving office in 2015, George Pradel was
6awarded the title Mayor Emeritus which allowed him to continue
7to represent his beloved city at local events; and
8 WHEREAS, Generations of Naperville families returned his
9love and devotion and honored him in numerous ways, including
10renaming Safety Town, his proudest achievement, in his and his
11wife's honor, erecting a sculpture of Officer Friendly greeting
12children, naming a park and a street in his honor, and even
13selling a George Pradel bobblehead; and
14 WHEREAS, For five decades, George Pradel personified
15Naperville; there wasn't anything that George Pradel wouldn't
16do for Naperville or for a friend, and he considered everyone
17who lived in town a friend; and
18 WHEREAS, George Pradel will be greatly missed by his
19children Carol, Gary, and George, his six grandchildren and
20four great grandchildren, and by all who knew him; therefore,
21be it

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1 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
2HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
3wish to express our deepest condolences to A. George Pradel's
4family, and we wish to celebrate the life and countless
5contributions of this Naperville icon; and be it further
6 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7presented to the Pradel family as an expression of our deepest
8sympathy.
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