HR0818LRB098 19863 MST 55081 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Harvey B.
4Ricks, who passed away on January 24, 2014; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Harvey Ricks was born in 1936 in Waukegan to
6Philander, Sr. and Narvia (nee McKenzie) Ricks; he attended
7Waukegan Township High School and Lake Forest College, where he
8played football; he married Helen Gray in 1955; and
 
9    WHEREAS, In 1958, Harvey Ricks became the first
10African-American employed at the North Shore Gas Company in
11Waukegan; later on he was promoted to Supervisory Instructor in
12Training and transferred to Peoples Gas in Chicago; in 1977, he
13was named General Supervisor at Distribution-North at Peoples
14Gas; he retired in 1992; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Harvey Ricks was active in many civic and social
16organizations; he was a member of the Education Committee of
17the Waukegan Area Conference on Race and Religion; he received
18the Freedom Award in February of 1979 from the Men of Kappa Chi
19Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. in honor of
20his involvement in the Whittier School Case during the 1960s;
21he was a member of the Unicorns Organization, which gave
22scholarships and provided food, blankets, and clothing to those

 

 

HR0818- 2 -LRB098 19863 MST 55081 r

1in need; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Harvey Ricks enjoyed traveling to Europe, China,
3Alaska, the Canary Islands, and the Caribbean; he attended the
4Olympics in 1984 in Los Angeles and in 1996 in Atlanta; he was
5an avid gardener and enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, bowling, and
6music, and was self-taught in doing macrame, often providing
7gifts to family and friends; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Harvey Ricks was preceded in death by his parents;
9his brothers, McKenzie Ricks and Dr. Philander Ricks, Jr.; his
10sister, Valda (Ricks) Whitehead; and his sister-in-law, Sylvia
11Ricks; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Harvey Ricks is survived by his wife of 58 years,
13Helen; his daughters, Valerie Renee Ricks and Dr. Harlene
14(Fernando) Shipley; his son, Wayne (Stephanie) Ricks; his
15grandchildren, Ahleo Ricks, Matthew and Rochelle Shipley,
16Laura Ricks, Wayne II (Melanie) Ricks, and Keyana and Nathan
17Ricks; his great-grandchildren, Jayden Shipley, Isaiah,
18Aaliyah, and Mariah Ricks; his brothers-in-law, Bennie, Emery,
19Elmer, and Ralph Gray; his sister-in-law, Barbara Ricks; his
20special niece and nephews, Elise James, Dr. Philip Ricks, and
21Rick Whitehead; his special cousins, Sherman McKenzie, Maxine
22Allen, and Wilma Faye Lavant; and his special friends, James
23Epperson and Darryl Bradshaw; therefore, be it
 

 

 

HR0818- 3 -LRB098 19863 MST 55081 r

1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
3we mourn the passing of Harvey B. Ricks, and extend our sincere
4condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
5him; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7presented to the family of Harvey Ricks as an expression of our
8deepest sympathy.