Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SR0398
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Full Text of SR0398  100th General Assembly

SR0398 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY


  

 


 
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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Willie Thomas Summerville of Champaign,
4who passed away on March 7, 2017; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Willie Summerville was born in Sunshine Arkansas
6to Moses and Lenora on August 7, 1944; he started taking music
7lessons when he was 12 to 13 years of age; he was a drum major
8at T.W. Daniels High School and played the tuba in the band; he
9was on the student council and sang in the school choir; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Willie Summerville graduated from the University
11of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science in
12Music Education; he earned his Masters of Science in Music
13Education from the University of Illinois in 1967; he furthered
14his studies at the University of Utah, the Ohio State
15University, Youngstown State University, East Stroudburg State
16University, Westminster Choir College, the University of
17Michigan, Michigan State University, and Jackson State
18University; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Willie Summerville worked at the Champaign Public
20Schools until 1970, when he became the Choral Music Director of
21the Middle School and the Eighth Grade Chorus in the Urbana
22Unified Schools; he was the Director of the High School Concert

 

 

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1Choir and took the choir to Rome to sing at St. Peter's
2Basilica at the Vatican in 1999; he took the Urbana High School
3choir to New York City where they sang at the Riverside Church
4and at Carnegie Hall; he also worked in the African American
5Studies Department at the University of Illinois, where he was
6the Campus and Community Affairs Specialist; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Willie Summerville belonged to many professional
8associations and service organizations, including the National
9Education Association, the Illinois Education Association, the
10Urbana Education Association, the Urbana Rotary, the
11University of Illinois Alumni Band, the Phi Beta Sigma
12Fraternity, the Phi Delta Kappa, the Alpha Kappa Mu National
13Honor Society, the University of Illinois Alumni Association
14(Life Member), the American Choral Directors Association, the
15Illinois Music Educators Association, the Music Educators
16National Conference, and the Illinois Music Adjudicators
17Association; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Willie Summerville was a founding member of Canaan
19Missionary Baptist Church; he was a charter member of the
20Deacon Board and Treasurer of the Canaan Development Foundation
21that supports the Canaan Academy; he faithfully served with the
22Soul Winning Action Team (SWAT Team) where he was a charter
23member; he was the director of the St. Luke's choir for over 50
24years; he also conducted music workshops and clinics all over

 

 

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1the world which were attended by thousands of people; he won
2numerous awards for his music and for his teaching; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Willie Summerville had many personal editorial
4and musical publications such as, "Choral Clarification,"
5"Jesus, How I love You," "Keeping the Dream Alive," "Dear Old
6Urbana," and "The Chocolate Flavored Birthday Song"; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Willie Summerville was married to the former
8Valerian Alexander for 47 years; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Willie Summerville was preceded in death by his
10sisters Ruby Lee Summerville Dixon, Sarah Jean Patton Brown,
11and Annie Pearl Summerville; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Willie Summerville is survived by his sister,
13Bertha Sue Summerville; his children, Derrick, Shandra, and
14William (Danielle Moses); his grandchildren, Darius (Jazmine),
15Adrian, Makeda, Jaxon, and Ezekiel; his great-granddaughter,
16Amiyah; his unborn great-grandson, Sebastian; and many nieces,
17nephews, and godchildren; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
19ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
20Willie Thomas Summerville, and extend our sincere condolences
21to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be

 

 

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1it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
3presented to the family of Willie Summerville as an expression
4of our deepest sympathy.