Bill Text: IL SR0278 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the death of Robert J. Cunningham Sr. of Danville.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-06-22 - Resolution Adopted [SR0278 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2011-SR0278-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
3 | learn of the death of
Robert J. Cunningham Sr. of Danville; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Robert Cunningham Sr. was born on March 18, 1934, | ||||||
5 | in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin; his parents were Glenn and Marie | ||||||
6 | (Thill) Cunningham; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Robert Cunningham Sr. attended Hooton School, | ||||||
8 | which he lovingly called Hooton Tech, and Danville High School, | ||||||
9 | where he graduated in 1952; from 1953 to 1956, he proudly | ||||||
10 | served in the United States Army with the 14th Armored Cavalry | ||||||
11 | and spent two years in Germany; he was subsequently appointed | ||||||
12 | to attend the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy in Munich, | ||||||
13 | Germany, and was appointed an instructor in field operations | ||||||
14 | upon returning to his base; he then turned down attending | ||||||
15 | Commissioned Officers Academy in the United States and retired | ||||||
16 | as a staff sergeant; and
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17 | WHEREAS, In 1957, Robert Cunningham Sr. joined the | ||||||
18 | International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Union; as a welder, | ||||||
19 | he traveled to many parts of the United States with his | ||||||
20 | brother-in-law and best friend, Kenny Laws, as his welding | ||||||
21 | partner; in 1975, he was elected to serve as the business | ||||||
22 | manager/secretary treasurer of Local 60; while in his second |
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1 | term in this position, he was asked to join the international | ||||||
2 | staff in the newly-created construction division as an | ||||||
3 | international representative; for five years prior to his | ||||||
4 | retirement, he also served as assistant to the international | ||||||
5 | president; he served on the international staff until January | ||||||
6 | of 1993; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Wishing to retire at the age of 60, Robert | ||||||
8 | Cunningham Sr. returned to the field for one final year Bobby | ||||||
9 | Jr. and Mark, who had both graduated from the Boilermakers | ||||||
10 | Apprenticeship program; on the last day of March 1993, he said | ||||||
11 | goodbye to his fellow workers and hung up his welding hat and | ||||||
12 | lunch box; having turned 60 that month, he realized his dream; | ||||||
13 | and
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14 | WHEREAS, Robert Cunningham Sr. was involved with numerous | ||||||
15 | community organizations; he was very proud of the Hooton | ||||||
16 | community and helped with the placing of the marker stone where | ||||||
17 | the Hooton School had been and the signs and flower gardens at | ||||||
18 | 14th Street and Ross Lane; he served as a Democratic precinct | ||||||
19 | committeeman for several years and was always eager to help | ||||||
20 | anyone in his community; he was involved in the creation of the | ||||||
21 | Vermilion County Nursing Home Foundation and served on the | ||||||
22 | foundation board for several years; he accompanied the youth | ||||||
23 | from Central Christian Church on their youth mission trips on | ||||||
24 | several occasions and formed lasting relationships with the |
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1 | young people; he also enjoyed fundraising for political | ||||||
2 | candidates; and
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3 | WHEREAS, Robert Cunningham Sr. enjoyed working on his | ||||||
4 | classic cars, fishing with his grandchildren, attending his | ||||||
5 | grandchildren's school and sports events, going on trips and | ||||||
6 | cruises with his wife, hunting mushrooms, and tending his | ||||||
7 | flower gardens; and
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8 | WHEREAS, Robert Cunningham Sr. was preceded in death by his | ||||||
9 | parents; his first wife, Barbara (Taylor) Cunningham; his | ||||||
10 | brother-in-law, Kenny Laws; and his grandson, Tommy Smith; and
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11 | WHEREAS, Robert Cunningham Sr. is survived by his wife, | ||||||
12 | Carol; his sons, Mark and Robert Jr.; his daughter, Susie | ||||||
13 | Gaudio; his stepson, Doug (Charlotte Bailey) Hanson; his | ||||||
14 | grandchildren, Cassie (Johnny) Thomas, Kasey (Eric) Antonini, | ||||||
15 | Robert Cunningham III, Nick Gaudio, and Markie Cunningham; his | ||||||
16 | sister, Shirley Laws; his sister-in-law, Anita (Ron) Jenkins; | ||||||
17 | his great-grandchildren, Kindall, Jesse, Taren, and Kenny; his | ||||||
18 | several cousins; his nieces and nephews; his aunt, Doris Thill; | ||||||
19 | and his wonderful friends and his church family at Central | ||||||
20 | Christian Church; therefore, be it
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21 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL | ||||||
22 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with |
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1 | his family and friends, the passing of Robert J. Cunningham | ||||||
2 | Sr.; and be it further
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3 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
4 | presented to the family of Robert Cunningham Sr. as an | ||||||
5 | expression of our sympathy.
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