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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Dr. Reginald Sykes, who passed away on
4July 25, 2017; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Dr. Sykes was born in Chicago to Mattie Bell
6(Thomas) Williams and Larry James Sykes on September 5, 1939;
7he graduated from Richard T. Crane Medical Preparatory High
8School, where he played baseball and developed a love of
9science; he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from
10LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Tennessee, where he met and
11married Robbie Jean Mangum; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Dr. Sykes joined the Chicago Police Department in
13the early 1960s and became an officer in the newly established
14Gang Tactical Unit; having witnessed the impact of economic and
15educational inequality within his community, he became
16determined to work to make things better and decided to further
17his education by obtaining a Master of Business Administration
18from the University of Chicago and a medical doctorate from
19Northwestern University; he was awarded major fellowships in
20psychiatry from the American Psychiatric Association and the
21National Institute of Mental Health; he worked at Rush
22Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital and completed his psychiatric
23residency at The University of Chicago Medical Center; he

 

 

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1served as executive director for the Mid-America Chapter of the
2American Red Cross; he worked for Abbott Laboratories,
3reviewing medical and scientific studies to modify and approve
4clinical drug trials in both the United States and Canada;
5while serving as chairman of the Dialysis Strategy Committee at
6Abbott, he helped organize, identify, and develop new products,
7supervising clinical trial drug testing for dialysis patients;
8he then started his own firm, Quality Research Services, Inc.,
9that identified and recruited diverse African American
10participants for important life-saving clinical trials; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Dr. Sykes was a member of Ebenezer Missionary
12Baptist Church; he also visited Apostolic Church of God in
13Christ; he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and
14an avid fisherman; at least four times a year, he and his good
15friend, Walter Dale "Uncle Butch", went to Onalaska Wisconsin,
16where legend has it that a giant 15-pound Northern Pike once
17found its way on to the end of his hook; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Dr. Sykes was preceded in death by his wife,
19Robbie, and his parents; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Dr. Sykes is survived by his children, Regina
21Sykes (Stephen Hawkins), Rhonda Sykes-Willis (Gregory),
22Reginald Sykes II (Renee), and Michael Shelton; his
23grandchildren, Robbie, Raven, Imani, Robynn, and Reginald III;

 

 

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1his brother, Larry Sykes; his very dear and close friends that
2were like brothers, Joe Davenport, Walter Dale, Vance Kimber,
3Dr. Jim Miller, and former mayor of Memphis, Tennessee, Willie
4Harrington; his good friend, Shirley Cockerham; his caretaker,
5Chasity Daniels; and numerous friends from coast to coast;
6therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
8ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
9Dr. Reginald Sykes, and extend our sincere condolences to his
10family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
11further
 
12    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13presented to the family of Dr. Sykes as an expression of our
14deepest sympathy.