Bill Text: IL HR1333 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the death of Ronald E. Gray of Jacksonville.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2016-06-29 - Resolution Adopted [HR1333 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2015-HR1333-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Ronald E. | ||||||
4 | "Ron" Gray of Jacksonville, who passed away on June 7, 2016; | ||||||
5 | and
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6 | WHEREAS, Ronald Gray was born in Salina, Kansas to Clarence | ||||||
7 | and Mary Gray on December 27, 1936; he graduated from Sacred | ||||||
8 | Heart High School in Salina and attended Kansas Wesleyan | ||||||
9 | University; and
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10 | WHEREAS, Ronald Gray worked in sales in Salina, Kansas and | ||||||
11 | then North Platte, Nebraska, before moving to Springfield to | ||||||
12 | manage the WMAY radio station; in 1968, he moved his family to | ||||||
13 | Jacksonville to manage WJIL radio which began an almost 50-year | ||||||
14 | love affair with the Jacksonville community; and
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15 | WHEREAS, Ronald Gray was active in the American Business | ||||||
16 | Club and served as Chairman for the Chamber of Commerce, the | ||||||
17 | Comprehensive Planning Committee, the CACHE campaign, and | ||||||
18 | other committees; he also worked with the Central Park Plaza | ||||||
19 | Association and Chapin Big Country Days; and
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20 | WHEREAS, Ronald Gray received numerous honors for his work, | ||||||
21 | including Jaycees Boss of the Year, American Business Club |
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1 | National Project Manager of the Year, the Illinois College | ||||||
2 | Distinguished Service Award, the Friend of the Theatre Award, | ||||||
3 | and most recently, he was elected a Rotary Club Paul Harris | ||||||
4 | Fellow and received the Chamber Circle of Excellence Award; and
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5 | WHEREAS, After retiring from WJIL, Ronald Gray managed the | ||||||
6 | Holiday Inn in Jacksonville and served on the Jacksonville Area | ||||||
7 | Convention and Visitors Bureau Board; it was that involvement | ||||||
8 | that led to the establishment of the Grierson Society and | ||||||
9 | General Grierson Civil War Days, a tourism attraction that | ||||||
10 | brought visitors to the area for 20 years; he received the | ||||||
11 | first Friend of Tourism award from the Bureau; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Ronald Gray's passion for history led to many | ||||||
13 | other community projects, the Save the Wheel committee that | ||||||
14 | brought the ferris wheel to Community Park, helping to | ||||||
15 | establish the Woodlawn Farm Underground Railroad site and the | ||||||
16 | Jacksonville Parks Foundation, and the restoration of the | ||||||
17 | Historic Bandstands at Prairie Land and Community Park; he | ||||||
18 | loved old houses, antique cars, radios and circus toys, riding | ||||||
19 | his scooter around Jacksonville and Marco Island, Florida, and | ||||||
20 | driving his "bucket list" 2002 Camaro convertible; he cherished | ||||||
21 | his friends and family and took great pleasure in the | ||||||
22 | accomplishments of his five grandsons and his only | ||||||
23 | granddaughter, who teasingly called him "Papa Pufferfish", and | ||||||
24 | the joy of a new generation of great grandbabies to spoil; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Ronald Gray was preceded in death by his parents; | ||||||
2 | his sister, Betty Jane Gray; and his first wife, Joyce Knudsen | ||||||
3 | Gray; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Ronald Gray is survived by his wife, Mary Riley | ||||||
5 | Gray; his son, Stuart Gray; his daughter, Sherri (Greg) Gray | ||||||
6 | Bergschneider; his stepchildren, Chris (Cheryl) Green and | ||||||
7 | Brenda (Bob) Green Cunningham; his six grandchildren, Paul Cody | ||||||
8 | (Sara) Gray, Brady and Brandon (Ashley) Bergschneider, Michael | ||||||
9 | and Connor Cunningham, and Elena Green; his | ||||||
10 | great-grandchildren, Bentley, Kennedy and Hadley Gray, and | ||||||
11 | Parker Bergschneider; his sister, Patricia Marcotte; and four | ||||||
12 | nieces and nephews; therefore, be it
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13 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
14 | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
15 | mourn the passing of Ronald E. "Ron" Gray, and extend our | ||||||
16 | sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew | ||||||
17 | and loved him; and be it further
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18 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
19 | presented to the family of Ronald Gray as an expression of our | ||||||
20 | deepest sympathy.
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