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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of former
4Illinois State Representative Raymond Whitney Ewell, who
5passed away on October 28, 2022; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Rep. Ewell, the second child of Whitney and
7Severine Ewell, was born in Chicago on December 29, 1928; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Rep. Ewell excelled academically as an
9adolescent, attending Corpus Christi Elementary School and
10later graduating from Englewood High School in Chicago in
111946; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Following high school, Rep. Ewell earned a
13Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois in 1949, a
14Master of Arts in 1951, and a Juris Doctor from the University
15of Chicago in 1954; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Rep. Ewell's commitment to service began with his
17military conscription into the U.S. Army, and after concluding
18his military career with an honorable discharge, he
19re-established himself in the legal field, practicing law for
2053 years and becoming a partner at the law offices of Ewell,
21Graham, McCormick, Ross and Davidson; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, After years of participation in the 17th Ward
2Regular Democratic Organization, Rep. Ewell was elected to the
3Illinois House of Representatives and served the 29th District
4from 1967 to 1983; and
 
5    WHEREAS, At the height of the Civil Rights Movement in
61967, Rep. Ewell, along with State Representatives Harold
7Washington, Louis A. H. Caldwell, Otis Collins, Kenneth Hall,
8and Calvin L. Smith and Senators Richard H. Newhouse and
9Charles Chew Jr., founded the Illinois Legislative Black
10Caucus; and
 
11    WHEREAS, During his tenure in office, Rep. Ewell served in
12numerous leadership roles, such as chairman of the Illinois
13House Higher Education Committee, chairman of the Illinois
14Legislative Black Caucus, and chairman of the National Society
15of State Legislators; and
 
16    WHEREAS, While in office and following his retirement from
17the Illinois General Assembly, Rep. Ewell was an active member
18in numerous organizations, including the Federal Public
19Defender Program, the Cook County Bar Association, the NAACP,
20the Washington Park Y.M.C.A., the Southtown Y.M.C.A, the
21Business Men's Association, the St. Carthage Grooming School
22for Boys, and the Perry Avenue Block Club; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Rep. Ewell was preceded in death by his first
2wife, Joyce Ewell; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Rep. Ewell is survived by his wife, Marcia Ewell;
4his sons, David Raymond, Marc Whitney, Raymond Anthony "Tony",
5Anthony Romain, and Marcus Alleyne; his grandchildren, Marc
6Jr., Kareim, Raymond Anthony Jr., Kendall, Drew, Diana,
7Cameron, and Ala; and his great-grandchildren, Silas, Kai,
8Aiyanna, and Kree; therefore, be it
 
9    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
10HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
11we mourn the passing of former Illinois State Representative
12Raymond Whitney Ewell and extend our sincere condolences to
13his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
14further
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16presented to the family of Rep. Ewell as an expression of our
17deepest sympathy.