HR1112 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1112 LRB094 20096 DRH 57706 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives were deeply saddened to learn of the death of John Lee Johnson of Champaign on March 23, 2006; and

WHEREAS, John Lee Johnson was born Aug. 7, 1941, in Champaign, the son of Thomas and Mamie Carr Johnson; he was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, and two sisters; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson was known as an uncompromising civil rights activist who fought for social justice his entire adult life; he was instrumental in the construction of the Martin Luther King subdivision in Champaign and the Eads Street subdivision in Urbana; he was a leader on fair housing, affordable housing, and providing health care to the poor; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson was a member of the Champaign City Council from 1973 to 1981, and he never stopped attending council meetings; he ran for City of Champaign Township supervisor, for the Champaign school board, and for the Parkland College board of trustees; he served on the Busey Bank Community Reinvestment Act Advisory Board; he was involved in Champaign County Health Care Consumers for many years; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson received many awards for civic involvement, from groups ranging from Citizens Action to the Champaign-Urbana Ministerial Alliance; in 1999, Mr. Johnson received the Outstanding Community Service Award from the National Council of African American Men and the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce; in 2003, the ministerial alliance saluted him for 40 years of activism against bigotry and prejudice and for removing barriers to achieving the American dream; he was slated to receive the Champaign County Health Care Consumers lifetime achievement award this year; and

WHEREAS, The passing of John Lee Johnson is felt by all who knew him, especially his son, John Ore Johnson; his brothers, Louis H. Johnson, Thomas Johnson, Larry Johnson, and William Johnson; his sisters, Gertrude Palmer, Ann Marie Johnson, Fannie Chalk, and Carolyn Johnson; and his longtime girlfriend, Ruby Taylor; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the death of John Lee Johnson, and we extend our sincerest condolences to his family, friends, and community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of John Lee Johnson as an expression of our deepest sympathy.