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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Edward F. Waszak of Crystal Lake, who
4passed away on July 1, 2017; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Edward Waszak was born Hammond, Indiana to Frank
6and Clara (Przystas); he was inducted into the United States
7Army immediately upon graduation from high school; after basic
8training, he was admitted into the Army Specialized Training
9Program and was sent to Socorro, New Mexico to study
10engineering at the New Mexico School of Mines; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Edward Waszak was attached to the 12th Armored
12Division and was sent to Strasbourg, France; he landed in
13Europe just in time to begin preparations for the pivotal
14battle that would later be remembered as "Bloody Herlssheim";
15during the retreat, he was captured by the German army and
16spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of war in Stalag
17XI-B; and
 
18    WHEREAS, After the war, Edward Waszak completed his
19chemical engineering degree at Purdue University; he took his
20first engineering job at American Maize in Hammond, Indiana,
21where he met his wife, Therese (Krysinski); in 1965, he began
22what would be a nearly 30-year career at the Morton Chemical

 

 

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1Company; he worked his way up through the ranks which took him
2around the world more times than he cared to count; he went
3from plant manager to executive vice president before his
4retirement in 1994; and
 
5    WHEREAS, After retirement, Edward Waszak reconnected with
6the 12th Armored Division Association, intent on understanding
7the events he experienced as a young soldier from the vantage
8point of age and maturity; he voraciously read accounts and
9biographies of those involved in the war's decision-making
10processes; he became the 12th Armored's historian and wrote
11articles for the association's newsletter for over a decade;
12these articles became three books: Hellcat Historian, Hellcat
13Historian II, and Hellcat Heroes; he was involved in the
14American Ex-Prisoner of War Association (Fox Valley Chapter)
15and often gave talks to local grade schools about World War II;
16and
 
17    WHEREAS, Edward Waszak was preceded in death by his
18parents; his sister, Ann Mazzocco (Leonard); and his brother,
19Richard (Ramona); and
 
20    WHEREAS, Edward Waszak is survived by his wife, Therese;
21his daughter, Mary Ellen; his sons, Michael (Denise) and Daniel
22(Kimberly); his grandchildren, Christian (Shannon), Brandon
23(Kathryn), Alexandra, Adam, and Emily; and his sisters,

 

 

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1Jeanette Meier (Everett), Elaine Wolfe (Robert), and
2Bernadette Massaro; therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
4ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
5Edward F. Waszak, and extend our sincere condolences to his
6family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
7further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9presented to the family of Edward Waszak as an expression of
10our deepest sympathy.