HR0831 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0831 LRB097 20685 KXB 66828 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives would like to honor and celebrate the life of former State Representative and State Senator George Raymond Hudson, known as "Ray" to his family and friends, who passed away on February 10, 2012, at the age of 92; and

WHEREAS, He was born on July 31, 1919 in Weedsport, New York and was the youngest of 4 children born to George and Florence Hudson; and

WHEREAS, He attended Dennison University in Granville, Ohio from 1938 to 1942, where he was president of his fraternity as well as the president of the 1942 graduating class; he met his wife Barbara Anderson Hudson in college and they were married in 1942; and

WHEREAS, He served in the United States Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1945, where he earned the rank of Second Lieutenant and later served as a tester in a psychological testing unit evaluating pilots, gunners, and navigators for psychological fitness; and

WHEREAS, He graduated from the American Academy of Art in Chicago with a degree in graphic arts in 1947 and later went on to produce a popular comic strip published in the Chicago Tribune called "Travelin' Ted"; and

WHEREAS, In 1948, he co-founded an advertising agency, later to be named the George Ray Hudson Advertising Company, which he operated until 1985; and

WHEREAS, He was an active member of the community, and enjoyed his time working with the American Legion; he was commander of Legion Post 250 in Hinsdale and district commander of the 4th district; he was a long-time member of the Toastmasters; he was one of the founding member of the Faith Fellowship Church in Oak Brook, founded in 1967; and

WHEREAS, He was a Republican precinct committee member between 1968 and 1998 and helped found Taproot, a local conservative political action organization in the late 1970s; and

WHEREAS, He was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1970, where he served from 1971 to 1986; he was later elected to the Illinois Senate, serving from 1986 to 1994; and

WHEREAS, His work for the people of Illinois over a span of 22 years earned him numerous awards for his legislative achievements from such organizations as the Heritage Foundation, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Farm Bureau, and Caterpillar, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, George "Ray" Hudson will be dearly missed by his children, Susan, Richard, and Robert; his 9 grandchildren; his 15 great-grandchildren; his nephew, Robert; and his niece, Margaret; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor and celebrate, along with his family, friends, and the people of the State of Illinois, the life of former State Representative and State Senator George "Ray" Hudson; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of George Hudson as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.