SR0848 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0848 LRB104 21171 MST 35576 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of James Oliver Gross, who passed away on February 18, 2026; and

WHEREAS, James Gross was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Willie Lee Stanford and James Reginald Gross on August 2, 1942; as a child, he was a member of Mt. Pisgah C/M.E. Church in Memphis, and his family eventually moved to the Orange Mound neighborhood; he graduated from Melrose High School in 1960 and attended Los Angeles City Colleges before returning to Memphis and attending Lemoyne Junior College (now Lemoyne-Owen) in the mid-60s; and

WHEREAS, James Gross enrolled in Tennessee State University in 1965; he was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Alpha Theta Chapter and represented the chapter on the cover of the Kappa Journal in 1966; he graduated with honors from Tennessee State University with a major in sociology in 1967; and

WHEREAS, James Gross spent 1967 to 1969 in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela; he served as a physical education teacher, and his greatest accomplishment was to garner funds from USAID and non-profits in the United States to complete the completion of a school in another part of Puerto Cabello; he completed a 40-year dream of visiting Puerto Cabello in 2007 and seeing the school where he taught physical education and the school that he built; and

WHEREAS, James Gross continued his love for learning by obtaining two more degrees, a Master of Arts in Personnel and Guidance Administration in 1971 and a Juris Doctorate from Depaul Law School in 1978; and

WHEREAS, James Gross married Karen Laurette Bozeman in 1982, and they traveled the world together; and

WHEREAS, James Gross had a vast and distinguished social service career; he served as executive director of the Clarence Darrow Community Service Center in Le Claire Courts near Midway Airport from 1971 to 1976, and upon his departure, he left standing a day care center that he built that served the community for many years after; he worked at the Thresholds Psychiatric Rehabilitation Agency; he also served as executive director of Firman House Community Center from 1985 to 1987 and program/project director at the Henry Boothe House, the Altgeld Gardens Community Center, and the Ford Heights Community Service Center; he served as employment assistance director for Chicago Public Schools before his last professional job at Chicago Housing Authority, from which he retired in 2015; and

WHEREAS, James Gross consulted with many social service agencies and educational institutions, including the Institute of Positive Education, the Community Renewal Society, Bethel New Life, the National College of Black Law, and numerous other small churches and organizations; and

WHEREAS, James Gross was the impetus for three major laws, the Nuisance Law in the City of Chicago, the Domestic Violence Law in the City of Chicago, and the Expungement Law for the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, James Gross was fondly known as "Professor Gross" at Kennedy-King College, as "Rabbit" by some, and as "Baba James" by others; and

WHEREAS, James Gross was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Alfred and Stanford Gross; and his daughter, Kamaria Laurette Gross; and

WHEREAS, James Gross is survived by his wife, Karen Laurette Bozeman Gross; his daughter, Robyn (Deryle) Wheatley McCoy; his son, Jabari Wilfred Oliver Gross; his sister, Willie Levada Gross Moore; his grandchildren, Kaiden Collins, Kairo Gross, Jamir Gross, Sebastian McCoy, Ethan McCoy, Riley McCoy, and Rayna McCoy; and numerous nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of James Oliver Gross and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of James Gross as a symbol of our deepest sympathy.