HR0352 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0352 LRB098 12049 GRL 45700 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Robert D. Bradley, who passed away on May 5, 2013; and

WHEREAS, Robert Bradley was born August 4, 1924, in Effingham; his parents were Esther and Arnold Bradley; he married Barbara Jean Rodd on August 28, 1949, at the Aldersgate Church on South Market in Marion; and

WHEREAS, After graduating from high school, Robert Bradley joined the United States Navy and served on the tanker ship USS Platt in the South Pacific until the end of World War II; he was active as an ensign in the Naval Reserve until 1959; and

WHEREAS, After the end of the war, Robert Bradley returned to Vandalia and enrolled at Southern Illinois University; he graduated in 1949 with a degree in business administration; and

WHEREAS, Robert Bradley was employed in real estate and insurance, along with his father-in-law and brother-in-law; in 1972, he founded Bob Bradley Insurance (now The Insurance House), now owned by his son, Clay; he continued to work in business until 2 weeks before his passing, for a total of 64 years; and

WHEREAS, Robert Bradley spent many hours working with the Boy Scouts, the Methodist Youth Fellowship, and the senior citizens of First United Methodist Church, where he was an active member; he drove the church van every Sunday morning for many years; and

WHEREAS, Robert Bradley was an active member of his community; he was instrumental in the creation of the Lion Club Honors Day Award at Marion High School; he organized and initiated the first Graduation Spree at MHS; he organized the first golf tournament, "The Closed Open", as a fund-raising event for Hearts Helping Hearts, in which only former open heart patients participated; he started the Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award to honor citizens who had made a difference in their community; he was designated as the Citizen of the Year in 1981 and was honored at the Mayor's Breakfast in 1997, and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998; and

WHEREAS, Robert Bradley enjoyed tending his flowers and yard, his white-flocked Christmas tree in his front window, his "Aunt Maude" sayings projected on his garage door, deep frying for all who visited his Lake of Egypt lake home, water skiing, and running at night with his son, Doug; and

WHEREAS, Robert Bradley was preceded in death by his brother-in-law, Dee L. Rodd and his wife Ruth, and his brother-in-law, Don Minner; and

WHEREAS, Robert Bradley is survived by his wife of 64 years, Barbara; his sons, Douglas R. Bradley and his wife, Lareva, and Clay A. Bradley and his wife, Andrea; his grandsons, Andrew W. Bradley and Robert J. Bradley; his granddaughter, Natalie Bradley Winn and her husband, Ryan; his half-brothers, Charles Burnett and his wife, Charlotte, and Danny Burnett; his brother-in-law, Rodger Rodd and his wife, Beth; his sisters-in-law, Geri Robbins and her husband, Chet, and Sidney Minner; his nieces, Patricia Dockery (Mike), Robin Pankey (Robert), Kim Rodd Holmes (Gary), and Kate Minner; his nephews, Richard Robbins (Bridget), Jim Rodd (Tamra), Bill Rodd (Carla), Chris Minner (Carol), Glen Burnett, and David Burnett; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Robert D. Bradley; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Robert Bradley as an expression of our sympathy.