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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Reverend
4 Doctor Philip Anthony Harley of Chicago, who passed away on
5 December 23, 2008; and
 
6     WHEREAS, He was born on May 26, 1920 in Philadelphia,
7 Pennsylvania to Elizabeth and Frederick Harley; he grew up in
8 Philadelphia and graduated from Central High School; and
 
9     WHEREAS, He began his undergraduate studies at Gammon
10 Theological Seminary and Clark College in 1941 and attended
11 both until 1943; he served two years in the United States Navy
12 beginning in October of 1944 and was honorably discharged;
13 after his time with the Navy, he attended Morgan State College,
14 where he completed his undergraduate degree; he enrolled in
15 Temple University in 1947 and studied law for two years; he
16 later received his calling to the ministry and in 1956
17 graduated from Garrett Theological Seminary and was ordained
18 into the Methodist Church; he received his Doctorate of
19 Theology from Evangelical Theological Seminary in Chicago; and
 
20     WHEREAS, He married Ireleen H. Jones in September of 1948;
21 together they were blessed with seven children; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, During his career he served in several conferences
2 in the United Methodist Church, including Wisconsin, Ohio,
3 Indiana, South Dakota, and Northern Illinois; he pastored St.
4 James United Methodist Church, followed by serving on the
5 program council staff of the Northern Illinois Conference; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Dr. Harley served on the faculty at Garrett
7 Evangelical Theological Seminary as an associate professor of
8 Field Education for 13 years; he served at the Chicago Religion
9 Institute; upon his retirement from Garrett Evangelical
10 Theological Seminary he pastored at Midlothian United
11 Methodist Church; he later served as pastor at
12 Ingleside-Whitfield United Methodist Church; he retired from
13 the United Methodist Church in 1990, but continued to serve the
14 Northern Illinois Conference; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Dr. Harley achieved a number of firsts in his
16 pastoral career: he was the first African American appointed in
17 the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist
18 Church; he was the first African-American minister appointed
19 the Northern Illinois Conference Cabinet serving under the
20 Bishop; and he was appointed the first African-American
21 Minister of Education of the United Methodist Church in
22 Mitchell, South Dakota; and
 
23     WHEREAS, He was one of the founding fathers of the Chicago

 

 

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1 Committee of Black Churchmen and the Black Caucus of the United
2 Methodist Church, Northern Illinois Conference, which later
3 became the Black Methodists for Church Renewal; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Dr. Harley was preceded in death by his father,
5 Frederick; his step-father, Richard Mathis; his mother,
6 Elizabeth Mathias; his wife, Ireleen; his daughter,
7 Antoinette; and his son, Anthony; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Dr. Harley is survived by his sister, Rosalie
9 Harley; his son, Richard (Bernette) Harley; his grandson,
10 Christopher (Sara); his great-grandson, Elijah; his
11 granddaughter, Con; his son, Michael (Brenda) Harley; his
12 grandson, Christopher (Camille) Brown and great-granddaughter,
13 Caitlin; his grandson, Patrick Brown; his son, Bruce (Debra)
14 Harley; his granddaughter, Nicole; his great-granddaughter,
15 Taylor; his grandson, Bryce; his daughter, Annette Harley; his
16 daughter, Theresia (fiance, Larry Logan) Harley; his
17 granddaughters, Jordan and Christian; his daughter-in-law,
18 Martha Harley; his granddaughter, Melanie Jackson; his
19 great-grandchildren, Jasmin, Byron, and Titus; his second
20 cousins, Cecilia Grant and son, Jacinto, Caesar Grant, Marcia
21 Grant, Levi Grant, Bobby Whitaker, and Rosie Whitaker; his
22 caregiver, Debra Short; his companion, Linda Davis; his
23 cherished best friend, Bishop Doctor Edsel Ammons; Al Ragland,
24 Reverend Jim Mack; and Barbara Pryor Williams; and many others;

 

 

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1 therefore, be it
 
2     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
4 mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of
5 Reverend Doctor Philip Anthony Harley; and be it further
 
6     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7 presented to the family of Reverend Doctor Philip Anthony
8 Harley as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.