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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Dr. Walter L. "Chick" Bishop of
4Litchfield, who passed away on November 7, 2017; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Dr. Bishop was born in Litchfield to Walter
6Lawrence and Mary Francis (Burke) Bishop on October 7, 1935; he
7graduated from Litchfield Community High School in 1953; he
8received his bachelor's degree in education from Southern
9Illinois University Carbondale (SIU) in 1958, a master's degree
10from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1963, and a
11Doctorate of Education from Illinois State University in 1975;
12he excelled in many sports in both high school and college and
13lettered in football, wrestling, and track at SIU Carbondale;
14in the late 1950s to the early 1960s, he served in the United
15States Army and the Illinois National Guard; he married his
16high school sweetheart Hester Williams; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Dr. Bishop's career in education began in 1958 as
18an elementary teacher at Raymond Grade School; he was the
19principal and sixth grade teacher at Ida J. Russell School in
20Litchfield from 1959 to 1967; from 1967 to 1977 he served as
21the Montgomery County Superintendent of Schools; he later
22served as Superintendent of the Livingston School District; he
23was an associate professor at Northern Illinois University, a

 

 

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1professor and department head at the University of Northern
2Iowa, the Director of the Springfield Education Consortium at
3Sangamon State University, and served as a consultant for the
4Illinois State Board of Education; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Dr. Bishop was awarded the American Educators
6Medal in 1973 from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge; he
7penned the statement, "Education is the Eternal Flame of
8Freedom."; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Dr. Bishop was an avid supporter of his local
10community, served on many committees, and was sought as a
11key-note speaker throughout the years; he served as the
12key-note speaker for 36 years for the local chapter of The
13Voice of Democracy, an annual nation-wide scholarship program
14sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Dr. Bishop wrote the agriculture section for the
16Litchfield Sesquicentennial Book; he was well-known for his
17knowledge of farming, antique farm equipment, and the history
18of the Old West; he was instrumental in organizing numerous
19trail rides and was called upon to judge many horse and antique
20farm equipment shows throughout central Illinois; he was a
21member of the Christian Church of Litchfield; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Dr. Bishop was preceded in death by his parents;

 

 

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1his brother, Colonel Thomas Bishop; and his sisters, Mary Lou
2Pitman and Elizabeth "Betty" Robey; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Dr. Bishop is survived by his wife, Hester; his
4sister, Judith (Dr. Eric) Strohmeyer; his children, Jane
5Bishop, Charles (Tammy) Bishop, Dale (Becky) Bishop, Don (Lisa)
6Bishop, Glenn (Kim) Bishop, and Ben (Cheryl) Bishop; and many
7grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews,
8great-nieces, and nephews; therefore, be it
 
9    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
10ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
11Dr. Walter L. "Chick" Bishop, and extend our sincere
12condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
13him; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15presented to the family of Dr. Bishop as an expression of our
16deepest sympathy.