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91_SR0477
LRB9115240KBkb
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to
3 express their sincere condolences to the family and friends
4 of Vernon R.Q. Fernandes, who recently passed away; and
5 WHEREAS, Vernon R.Q. Fernandes was born in Kansas City,
6 Missouri on October 17, 1921 to Antonio and Mary Alice Cline
7 Fernandes; on August 8, 1942 he married Edythe May Spencer in
8 Kansas City, Missouri; and
9 WHEREAS, Vernon R.Q. Fernandes was a graduate of
10 Northeast High School in Kansas City; in 1940 he joined the
11 United States Army and remained in military service for 28
12 years; he was a veteran of World War II, serving in the
13 European, African, and Middle East theaters of operation; he
14 also served his country in the Korean War and the Vietnam
15 War; during his time of service he received the Legion of
16 Merit Medal twice, 14 campaign medals and Battle Stars, and 3
17 Commendation Medals; he was inducted into the United States
18 Army Corps of Engineers' Officer Candidate School Hall of
19 Fame at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with the original class, in
20 1970; he was one of two people to achieve the rank of colonel
21 in the Corps of Engineers without having a college degree;
22 and
23 WHEREAS, In 1968 Colonel Vernon R.Q. Fernandes retired
24 from military service and moved to Jacksonville, Illinois;
25 his first job in the city was executive vice president of the
26 Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce; in 1970 he joined the staff
27 of Elliott State Bank, where he retired in 1987; and
28 WHEREAS, Vernon R.Q. Fernandes was very involved in the
29 community, from donating blood to playing the role of Santa
30 Claus at Christmas time; he served as the United Way chairman
31 twice, served as chairman of the city Sesquicentennial and
32 Bicentennial celebrations, served as president of the Rotary
-2- LRB9115240KBkb
1 Club, and served as an alderman for Jacksonville; he was a
2 founding member of the Jacksonville Theatre Guild; he served
3 as a member of the board of directors of the Friends of the
4 Library and the Heritage Cultural Center, where he also
5 served as president; he also served as the business manager
6 of the Jacksonville Symphony Society; and
7 WHEREAS, Vernon R.Q. Fernandes was on the board of the
8 Jacksonville-MacMurray Music Association, the Jacksonville
9 Human Relations Commission, the Morgan County Historical
10 Society, and was a trustee of the Jacksonville Public
11 Library; in 1976 he was named the first Jacksonville Citizen
12 of the Year, and a Distinguished Citizen of the State of
13 Illinois; he recently received a Life Achievement Award from
14 the Illinois State Historical Society; and in 1992 he was
15 elected to the Jacksonville Area Hall of Fame; and
16 WHEREAS, Vernon R.Q. Fernandes was the author of "The
17 People of Jacksonville-A Pictorial History", "Faces and
18 Places-A Morgan County Family Album", "Great Scott and the
19 People Who Made It Great", "Greene County Memories and the
20 People Who Made Them", and "Passavant Area Hospital-125 Years
21 of Caring"; and
22 WHEREAS, The passing of Vernon R.Q. Fernandes will be
23 felt by all who knew and loved him, especially his daughters,
24 Mrs. Susan (husband, Robert) Neff and Judith Fernandes; and
25 his two grandchildren; therefore, be it
26 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIRST GENERAL
27 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing
28 of Vernon R.Q. Fernandes of Jacksonville, Illinois; and be it
29 further
30 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
31 presented to the family of Vernon R.Q. Fernandes.