SR0756 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0756 LRB095 21705 KXB 51915 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Dr. William Henry Requarth of Decatur, who passed away on June 2, 2008; and

WHEREAS, William Henry Requarth was born on January 23, 1913, in Charlotte, North Carolina, the son of Charles and Amelia George Requarth; he married Nancy Charlton in August of 1948; he later married Connie Harper in May of 1977; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Requarth served in the United States Navy during the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and helped rescue sailors from the burning oil in the water; he was also the first doctor to perform open heart surgery in the City of Decatur; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Requarth's education includes Millikin University, Decatur; University of Illinois, College of Medicine, Chicago, where he received his B.S. in 1935, M.D. in 1938, and M.S. (Surgery) in 1940; Intern, St. Lukes Hospital, Chicago from 1938 to 1939; Fellow in Surgery, University of Illinois, College of Medicine from 1940 to 1941; Resident Surgeon, Cook County Hospital from 1940 to 1941 and 1946 to 1947; Surgical Staff Appointments include Instructor in Surgical Technique, Cook County Graduate School of Medicine, 1946; Attending Surgeon, University of Illinois Hospitals, Chicago, 1946 to 1969; Associate Attending Surgeon, Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Night Surgeon, 1947 to 1949; Attending Surgeon, Veterans Administration Hospital, Chicago, 1946 to 1949; Attending Surgeon, Henrotin Hospital, Chicago, 1946 to 1949; and Attending Surgeon, St. Mary's and Decatur Memorial Hospitals, 1949 to 1984; and

WHEREAS, His awards include the Alumni Merit Award, Millikin University in 1960; Association of Commerce Merit Award in 1961 (Contributions to General Aviation); Flying Physicians Association Pilot of the Year in 1961 (Contributions to General Aviation); Alumnus of the Year, Millikin University in 1970; Distinguished Service Award, University of Illinois in 1972; alumnus of the Year (Medicine), University of Illinois in 1983; and LLD, Doctor of Humane Letters (Hon), Millikin University in 1996; and he was named Outstanding Trustee and Trustee Emeritus by the Decatur Public Schools Foundation in 2004; and

WHEREAS, His military service includes serving in the United States Navy from 1941 to 1946, served to Commander (MC) USNR; SUBRON 4 (Submarine Squadron Four), Pearl Harbor, T.H. 1941; USS Litchfield (destroyer) Pearl Harbor, T.H.; U.S. Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida 1942 (Flight Training); Aviation Staff, COMNAVEU (Commander, US Naval Forces in Europe) American Embassy, London, England 1943; USS Cabot (aircraft carrier) 1943 to 1944; Naval Air Experimental Station, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Commanding Officer, Aeromedical Research Facility from 1944 to 1945; Great Lakes Naval Hospital, Great Lakes, Attending Surgeon, Plastic Surgery from 1945 to 1946; his legacy will include the Dr. William Requarth Surgery Pavilion Wing and the Dr. William Requarth Astronomy Observatory Tower, Millikin University Science Building; and

WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his parents; brother-in-law, Elbert S. Smith; and mother and father-in-law, Jean M. and Raymond R. Harper; and

WHEREAS, Surviving are his wife, Connie Requarth; his first wife, Nancy Charlton Sedgwick; his children, Kurt Requarth, Betsy (Dr. Robert) Risner, Jeff (Justine) Requarth, Jan Requarth, Timothy Requarth, and Suzy Requarth and partner Sarah Roper; his grandchildren, Matthew Talbert (Deana) and Quinn May; his four great-grandchildren; his sister and lifelong friend, Pauline R. Smith and her children, Mary Jane Hamilton and William B. Smith; his sisters and brothers-in-law, Michael (Raquel) Harper, Anne (Larry) Jurgens, Russell (Karen) Harper, Patrick (Deb) Harper, Carol (Robin Fuchs) Harper, and Edward (Dawn) Harper; and his many nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family, friends, colleagues, and those whose lives he touched, the passing of Dr. William Requarth; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Dr. William Requarth as a symbol of our sincere condolences.