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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the
3 State of Illinois learned with sadness of the death of William
4 J. Curley of Hazel Crest, formerly of Riverdale, on Monday,
5 February 14, 2005; and
 
6     WHEREAS, He was born on February 24, 1908, in Chicago; he
7 was the fifth of eight children born to Michael and Margaret
8 (nee Salmon) Curley, both of whom were immigrants from Ireland;
9 and
 
10     WHEREAS, Mr. Curley was a good citizen, a hard working
11 family man who was able to achieve the American dream through
12 honesty, persistence, and determination; a teenager during the
13 Great Depression, he left school and went to work after the
14 death of his father in order to help support his mother and
15 younger siblings; in 1939 he took a job with the Internal
16 Revenue Service after passing the federal government's civil
17 service entrance exam; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Though he only had two years of formal high school
19 education, Mr. Curley never gave up on continuing his
20 education; while working full time at the IRS, he completed law
21 school and achieved his goal of becoming a CPA (Certified
22 Public Accountant); he retired from the Internal Revenue
23 Service in 1970, after 31 years of service, with the title
24 Appellate Conferee; and
 
25     WHEREAS, Mr. Curley and his wife, Alice Lillian, raised
26 seven children; education and religion were priorities in their
27 home; devout Roman Catholics, Mr. and Mrs. Curley managed to
28 give their children a parochial school education; all seven
29 graduated from high school, and three went on to graduate from
30 college; a devoted grandfather, Mr. Curley did his best to
31 acknowledge every birthday of his 18 grandchildren and 13

 

 

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1 great-grandchildren; he was the center of attention at a weekly
2 family lunch attended by his children, and open to any extended
3 family member that could make it; and
 
4     WHEREAS, He was a man of unquestionable integrity, a kind,
5 benevolent, loving man who for all of his almost 97 years was
6 an example of selfless devotion to his children and
7 grandchildren; he lived his life by being true to the things he
8 valued most: his faith, his family, and his work; and
 
9     WHEREAS, The passing of William J. Curley has been deeply
10 felt by many, especially his children, Eileen (Lester) Wiersma,
11 James W., Mary (Thomas) Ostrowski, Janet (Hon. John) Doody,
12 Michael, and Kathleen (Wayne) Piotrowski; his grandchildren,
13 Teresa (Randall) McConochie, Donna Wiersma, William Wiersma,
14 Kirsten (Robert) Cichowicz, Valerie Curley, Thomas (Kim)
15 Ostrowski, Lisa (Christopher) Michaels, Julie (Jonathon)
16 Goken, Maureen (Paul) Johnson, John T. Doody III, Colleen
17 (Robert) Kelsheimer, Carolyn (Paul) Bough, Michael A. (Eileen)
18 Curley, Erin (Robert) Longfield, Kristeen Piostrowski, Meagan
19 Piotrowski, and Shawn Piotrowski; and his great-grandchildren
20 Lindsay McConochie, Anthony Wiersma, Cameron Cichowicz, Evan,
21 Matthew, and Olivia Ostrowski, Carter Michaels, Tyler,
22 Brandon, and Emily Kelsheimer, David Curley, and Tyler and
23 Gavin Longfield; he was preceded in death by his wife, Alice
24 Lillian, nee Beach; his son, Daniel; his grandson, Lester
25 Wiersma Jr.; and his siblings, Robert (Pearl), John
26 (Katherine), Michael Aloysius (Sophie), Vincent (Thelma), Ann
27 (George) O'Connor, Vivian (Stanley) Lubish, and Francis
28 (Helen); therefore, be it
 
29     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
30 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
31 we mourn the passing of William J. Curley, and we extend our
32 deepest sympathy to his family, friends, and all who knew and
33 loved him; and be it further
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2 presented to his family as an expression of our sincere
3 condolences.