Bill Text: IL SR0813 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the passing of Richard L. Duchossois of Barrington Hills.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2022-02-10 - Resolution Adopted [SR0813 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-SR0813-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | ||||||
3 | to learn of the death of Richard L. Duchossois of Barrington | ||||||
4 | Hills, who passed away on January 28, 2022; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Richard Duchossois was born to Ernestine and | ||||||
6 | Alphonse Duchossois in Chicago on October 7, 1921; he was a | ||||||
7 | native of Chicago; he attended Morgan Park Military Academy | ||||||
8 | during his formative years; he attended Washington and Lee | ||||||
9 | University in Lexington, Virginia; he served in the U.S. Army | ||||||
10 | during World War II, where he was assigned to the 610th Tank | ||||||
11 | Destroyer Battalion and served as commander of a Tank | ||||||
12 | Destroyer Company throughout five European campaigns under | ||||||
13 | General George S. Patton; he survived a gunshot wound, | ||||||
14 | recovered, and returned to the front, leading his company | ||||||
15 | through famed operations such as The Battle of the Bulge; he | ||||||
16 | was awarded a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, and the Order of St. | ||||||
17 | Maurice medallion; he received the Legion d'Honneur on the | ||||||
18 | 70th anniversary of D-Day by the French government in | ||||||
19 | Normandy, France in 2014; he married Beverly Thrall in July | ||||||
20 | 1943, and they had four children, Craig, Dayle, Bruce, and | ||||||
21 | Kimberly, and settled in Flossmoor; he later married Mary | ||||||
22 | Judith McKeage in 2000; and
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23 | WHEREAS, Upon his return home from the war, Richard |
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1 | Duchossois joined his wife's family's railcar parts and repair | ||||||
2 | business, Thrall Car Manufacturing Company, in Chicago | ||||||
3 | Heights; he honed his intuitive business instincts while | ||||||
4 | there, relentlessly striving for growth and improvement; he | ||||||
5 | grew the company from 35 employees to 3,000 employees by the | ||||||
6 | time it was acquired by the Trinity Rail Group in 2001, | ||||||
7 | diversifying his company over the years with the purchase of | ||||||
8 | Chamberlain Manufacturing Group, broadcast outlets, Arlington | ||||||
9 | Park, and a number of other businesses; and
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10 | WHEREAS, Richard Duchossois was most associated with | ||||||
11 | Arlington Park, the thoroughbred racetrack located in | ||||||
12 | Arlington Heights; after an electrical fire destroyed the | ||||||
13 | entire facility in 1985, he galvanized his employees to hold | ||||||
14 | the famed Arlington Million race just days after the fire; | ||||||
15 | this feat became a horseracing legend known as the "Miracle | ||||||
16 | Million" and marked the first time a racetrack was ever | ||||||
17 | awarded racing's highest honor, the Eclipse Special Award; he | ||||||
18 | then championed the facility's rebuild, setting it apart from | ||||||
19 | other racetracks globally with its striking cantilevered roof, | ||||||
20 | world-class facilities, and international stakes races; during | ||||||
21 | his tenure in horseracing, he oversaw the merger of Arlington | ||||||
22 | Park with Churchill Downs Incorporated in 2000, brought the | ||||||
23 | 2002 Breeders Cup to Arlington Park, owned one of the leading | ||||||
24 | breeding farms in Illinois, and actively worked to influence | ||||||
25 | and shape the racing industry and its legislation; he was |
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1 | inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in | ||||||
2 | 2019; and
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3 | WHEREAS, Richard Duchossois made his first major | ||||||
4 | philanthropic gift to the University of Chicago Medical Center | ||||||
5 | in 1978 in response to the care and treatment his wife Beverly | ||||||
6 | was receiving before her passing in 1980; his gift supported | ||||||
7 | world-renowned experts in lymphoma, including Dr. John Ultmann | ||||||
8 | as the first director of the Cancer Research Center at the | ||||||
9 | University of Chicago; he established The Duchossois Family | ||||||
10 | Foundation soon after; he supported cancer research in | ||||||
11 | partnership with the University of Chicago and initiatives | ||||||
12 | such as Patient Navigation Services with the American Cancer | ||||||
13 | Society, among others; and
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14 | WHEREAS, Richard Duchossois served as a trustee of the | ||||||
15 | National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he | ||||||
16 | participated in several oral history projects; and
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17 | WHEREAS, In his 100 years of life, Richard Duchossois left | ||||||
18 | an indelible impression on the world as a decorated war hero, a | ||||||
19 | renowned entrepreneur, a horseracing icon, a philanthropist, a | ||||||
20 | husband, a father, an uncle, a grandfather, a | ||||||
21 | great-grandfather, and a friend; he will be remembered for his | ||||||
22 | leadership, humility, generosity, perseverance, and dedication | ||||||
23 | to the service of others; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Richard Duchossois was preceded in death by first | ||||||
2 | wife, Beverly, and their son, R. Bruce Duchossois; and
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3 | WHEREAS, Richard Duchossois is survived by his wife, Mary | ||||||
4 | Judith (McKeage); his son, Craig J. Duchossois (Janet); his | ||||||
5 | daughters, Dayle Duchossois-Fortino (Ed) and Kimberly | ||||||
6 | Duchossois; his stepsons, Steve Marchi (Sherrie) and Paul | ||||||
7 | Marchi (Judy); his seven grandchildren and their spouses; his | ||||||
8 | two step-grandchildren; and his 14 great-grandchildren; | ||||||
9 | therefore, be it
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10 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL | ||||||
11 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
12 | Richard L. Duchossois and extend our sincere condolences to | ||||||
13 | his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | ||||||
14 | further
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15 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
16 | presented to the family of Richard Duchossois as an expression | ||||||
17 | of our deepest sympathy.
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