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 1                          SENATE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The members  of  the  Senate  of  the  State  of
 3    Illinois  were  saddened  to  learn  of  the  death of Joseph
 4    Salvador Bonansinga of Quincy on April 4, 2003; and

 5        WHEREAS, Mr. Bonansinga was affectionately known as  "Mr.
 6    Quincy" to his community; and

 7        WHEREAS,  Mr.  Bonansinga  was born in Quincy on July 20,
 8    1910, he was one of two sons of Salvador "Sully"  and  Nettie
 9    (nee Malambri) Bonansinga; he married Eida Blaisdell in 1938,
10    she  died in 1966; he married Patricia Blackburn on April 27,
11    1968; and

12        WHEREAS, Mr. Bonansinga's multi-faceted  career  included
13    working   as   a   professional  musician,  leading  the  Joe
14    Bonansinga Orchestra in the 1930s, broadcasting, and  raising
15    money for Quincy University; and

16        WHEREAS,  Before  World  War  II,  he  worked  as a sales
17    representative for John Musolino and Co., a wholesale product
18    company; in 1943, he entered the United States Army,  serving
19    as   company   clerk  at  Fort  McPherson,  Georgia;  he  was
20    discharged in October 1945; and

21        WHEREAS, In 1947, Mr.  Bonansinga  joined  the  staff  of
22    Quincy's  new  radio  station,  WGEM;  six  years  later,  on
23    September  4, 1953, he was part of the team that produced the
24    first television broadcast in Quincy on WGEM-TV; and

25        WHEREAS,  Mr.  Bonansinga's  dedication  to  Quincy   was
26    legendary;  after  a  28-year  career  as  vice president and
27    general manager  of  WGEM  radio,  he  was  named  as  Quincy
28    College's   first   vice   president  in  charge  of  college
29    development, and received an honorary doctorate; and

30        WHEREAS, Mr. Bonansinga served as a member and  president
 
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 1    of the Quincy University (Q.U.) Board of Trustees and founded
 2    the Solano Club to support the University's music department;
 3    he  was  honored  for that dedication when he received Q.U.'s
 4    Charles R. Winking Memorial Award in 1992; he  also  received
 5    the  school's  Alumni  Service  Award in 1960 and an honorary
 6    Doctor of Letters award in 1978; he was named Q.U. Alumnus of
 7    the 20th Century; and

 8        WHEREAS, During  his  broadcast  career,  Mr.  Bonansinga
 9    served  as president of the Illinois Broadcasters Association
10    (IBA) and as WGEM's general manager; he retired in 1975,  and
11    received a life membership from the IBA; and

12        WHEREAS,  Mr.  Bonansinga helped raise money for a number
13    of Quincy institutions, including the  United  Way  of  Adams
14    County,  Quincy Schools, the Quincy Housing Authority, Quincy
15    Notre Dame High School, and  the  Salvation  Army  Board,  on
16    which he served for more than 40 years; and

17        WHEREAS,  He  also served as president or chairman of the
18    Chamber of Commerce, the Quincy Rotary  Foundation,  the  St.
19    Mary  Hospital  Board,  the Illinois Veterans Home centennial
20    celebration,  efforts  to  renovate  Morrison   Theatre   and
21    Morrison   Plaza  at  Quincy  Junior  High  School,  and  the
22    dedication of Quincy's new City Hall; and

23        WHEREAS,  Mr.  Bonansinga  won  nearly  every   community
24    service award in the city, including the Book of Golden Deeds
25    Award  of the Quincy Exchange Club (1975), the City of Quincy
26    Arts Award (1987), the Parker S. Gates Award  of  the  Quincy
27    Area Chamber of Commerce (1991), the Humanitarian of the Year
28    Award  of  the  Family  Service Agency (1991), the Boy Scouts
29    Distinguished Citizen Award (1993), and the Jaycees  Boss  of
30    the Year Award twice; and

31        WHEREAS,  He  was  even  the  first recipient of an award
32    named after him, the Joe Bonansinga Award,  given  by  United
 
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 1    Way of Adams County for outstanding volunteerism; and

 2        WHEREAS,  Mr.  Bonansinga  also  was  a  key volunteer in
 3    events such as the Centennial Pilgrimage celebrating the Rev.
 4    Augustine Tolton, the nation's first black priest, the Q.U.'s
 5    $15 million Goal 2000 capital  campaign,  and  the  Salvation
 6    Army's centennial celebration; the Salvation Army renamed its
 7    two-story   addition   building   the   Joe  Bonansinga  Life
 8    Enrichment Center; in 1992, the city  renamed  Bayview  Drive
 9    after  him; in addition, he served as a Q.U. trustee, Dogwood
10    Parade marshal, and as chairman of Arts/Quincy Riverfest; and

11        WHEREAS, Many of Quincy's civic and social service groups
12    have honored him over the years; and

13        WHEREAS, Mr. Bonansinga's passing will be deeply felt  by
14    many,  especially  his wife, Patricia; his two nephews, Sully
15    Bonansinga and his wife, Diane, and  William  Bonansinga  and
16    his  wife,  Mary;  his  niece,  Natalie Jane Stickler and her
17    husband, Kent; his  sister-in-law,  Lucille  Bonansinga;  his
18    great-nieces  and  nephews;  and  his  great-great-nieces and
19    nephews; and

20        WHEREAS, Mr. Bonansinga was  preceded  in  death  by  his
21    first  wife;  his  parents;  and  a  brother, William "Bill";
22    therefore, be it

23        RESOLVED, BY  THE  SENATE  OF  THE  NINETY-THIRD  GENERAL
24    ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the death of
25    Joseph  Salvador Bonansinga along with all who knew and loved
26    him  and  extend  our  sincere  condolences  to  his  family,
27    friends, and community; and be it further

28        RESOLVED, That a suitable  copy  of  this  resolution  be
29    presented  to  the  family  of Mr. Joseph Salvador Bonansinga
30    with our deepest sympathy.