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91_HR0786
LRB9113766CBcb
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives were
3 saddened to learn of the death of Charles Ellis "Charlie"
4 Gaines of Chicago, former member of this House of
5 Representatives, on Tuesday, March 28, 2000; and
6 WHEREAS, Charles Gaines was born in Chicago on January
7 16, 1924, the son of former State Representative Harris B.
8 Gaines, Sr. and past president of the City, State, and
9 National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, Irene McCoy
10 Gaines; he was the grandson of William Thomas Gaines, the
11 first Black plastering contractor in Chicago, and
12 grand-nephew of George W. Ellis, secretary of the American
13 Legation in Liberia and assistant corporation counsel for the
14 City of Chicago; and
15 WHEREAS, Mr. Gaines was educated at Douglas and
16 Christopher Elementary Schools and Morrill branches of
17 Lindbloom and Spaulding High Schools; he spent two years at
18 Fisk University and graduated from the University of Illinois
19 in Champaign, receiving a bachelor's degree in political
20 science; he did post-graduate work at John Marshall Law
21 School and Loyola University School of Social Work; and
22 WHEREAS, In 1975, Charlie Gaines reached one of his goals
23 when he was elected to the House of Representatives where he
24 was the only African-American Republican State
25 Representative; he served as a State Representative until
26 1981; and
27 WHEREAS, Mr. Gaines also served as a Property Insurance
28 Consultant, Cook County Department of Public Aid, Director of
29 Consumer Fraud, Office of the Attorney General, and Community
30 Service Coordinator with the Department of Human Services;
31 and
-2- LRB9113766CBcb
1 WHEREAS, Mr. Gaines was affiliated with a number of
2 groups, including Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Delta Sigma Rho
3 Speech Honorary Society, Chatham-Avalon Park Community
4 Council board member, South Central Community Health Service
5 Organization board member, Parliamentarian of the District 27
6 School Council, and President of Districts 22 and 27 School
7 Council; and he belonged to the Commonweath Community Church,
8 where he was a member of the governing board; and
9 WHEREAS, The passing of Charles Ellis Gaines will be
10 deeply felt by his family and friends, especially his wife,
11 Stella; his daughter, Dr. Cheryl Gaines; his son, Michael
12 Ellis Gaines; his grandson, Jonathan D. Hunter; his cousins,
13 Mrs. Virginia Gaines Giles and Mrs. Louise Gaines Daughtery;
14 his stepdaughters, Dionne Martin (Avrione), Markisha Carr,
15 Michele Jackson, Ursula Ballard, Adrienne Walls, and Courtney
16 Walls; and his stepson, Everett Carr; therefore, be it
17 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
18 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
19 we note with sorrow and deep regret the death of Charles
20 Ellis Gaines, a respected colleague, and extend our
21 appreciation and recognition of his many contributions and
22 our sincere condolences to his family and friends; and be it
23 further
24 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
25 presented to his widow, Mrs. Stella Driver Gaines.