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1
SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Joseph William "Bill" Sharpe of
4Peoria, who passed on January 2, 2021; and
5 WHEREAS, Bill Sharpe was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to
6Joseph William Sharpe and Elizabeth Roberts on February 20,
71938; he graduated from Bradley University in 1961 with a
8bachelor's degree in Business Administration, where he was
9president of the Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity and
10served on numerous boards and committees; he had the
11opportunity to work closely with Jack Brickhouse, organizing
12fundraisers in the Chicago area for the Bradley Athletic
13Department; he was also a member of the Bradley Scholarship
14Society; and
15 WHEREAS, Bill Sharpe first married Nancy Clayton, the
16mother of his three daughters; he then married Judith Brown,
17the mother of his son; he married Deborah Tilly in Italy in
182003; and
19 WHEREAS, After working at Caterpillar, Inc., Bill Sharpe
20founded Sharp Income Tax Service in December of 1969, which
21became the largest, single location tax office in the United
22States, preparing over 10,000 tax returns per year;

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1subsequently, he owned and operated Total Income Tax Service
2and Sharp Payroll Service, retiring in May of 2016; and
3 WHEREAS, Bill Sharpe was an avid fan of the Chicago Cubs
4fan and was thrilled to see them win the World Series in 2016;
5he also loved reading, traveling, fine dining, and
6socializing; he will especially be remembered for his kind
7heart and generosity in both his business and personal life;
8and
9 WHEREAS, Bill Sharpe was preceded in death by his parents;
10his infant son, Russell; and his son-in-law, James Voelker;
11and
12 WHEREAS, Bill Sharpe is survived by his wife, Deborah; his
13second wife, Judith; his daughters, Cindy (George) Birkhold,
14Kelly Voelker, and Toni (Carl) Root; his son, Joseph William
15(Shelley) Sharpe III; his stepdaughter, Erica Pegues; his
16stepson, Troy (Betsy) Tilly; 11 grandchildren; 16
17great-grandchildren; his brother, Thomas (Carol) Sharpe; his
18sister, Susan (Kent) Currie; and family friend, Linda Nelson;
19therefore, be it
20 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
21ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
22Joseph William "Bill" Sharpe and extend our sincere

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1condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
2him; and be it further
3 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
4presented to the family of Bill Sharpe as an expression of our
5deepest sympathy.