093_HR0516

 
                                     LRB093 13712 RAH 19112 r

 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The members of the House of  Representatives  of
 3    the  State  of Illinois learned with regret of the passing of
 4    Prentiss Thompson of Aurora on Monday, October 20, 2003; and

 5        WHEREAS, Prentiss Thompson was born on March 4,  1932  in
 6    Oxford,  Mississippi  to  Webster and Bessie (Peel) Thompson;
 7    and

 8        WHEREAS,  A  longtime  union  steward   with   Sealmaster
 9    Bearing, Prentiss Thompson was one of the founding members of
10    the  Aurora  Community Study Circles pilot program and served
11    as its vice president when it was established in 1996;  Study
12    Circles runs 20 to 30 groups  a  year  to  discuss  diversity
13    issues  facing  Aurora;  Prentiss  Thompson  attended most of
14    those groups and helped facilitate some of them; and

15        WHEREAS, In early 2003, Prentiss Thompson  was  appointed
16    to  the African American Heritage Advisory Board, a new panel
17    charged with overseeing various Aurora events  pertaining  to
18    the  black  community;  although Mr. Thompson was a leader in
19    the black community, his endeavors were known throughout  the
20    city; and

21        WHEREAS,  Prentiss  Thompson's  Christian  beliefs were a
22    guiding force in his life; he served as a  deacon  at  Gayles
23    Memorial  Baptist  in Aurora for longer than the 23 years the
24    Rev. George Marshall had been the pastor there;  Mr. Thompson
25    was a spiritual leader for the church, someone who always was
26    positive  and  believed  strongly  that  anything  could   be
27    accomplished  if  one  put  one's  mind  to  it;   as a youth
28    director at the church, Mr. Thompson was a  strong  motivator
29    and  always  stressed how essential education was; therefore,
30    be it

31        RESOLVED,  BY  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES   OF   THE
 
                            -2-      LRB093 13712 RAH 19112 r
 1    NINETY-THIRD  GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
 2    we mourn, along with all who knew and loved him, the death of
 3    Prentiss Thompson of Aurora; and be it further

 4        RESOLVED, That a suitable  copy  of  this  resolution  be
 5    presented to the family of Prentiss Thompson as an expression
 6    of our sincerest condolences.