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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Morris Littlefield "Morry" Hecker Jr. of
4Champaign, who passed away on March 3, 2019; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Morry Hecker was born to Morris L. and Bess Stipes
6Hecker on July 20, 1922; he attended Champaign public schools
7and entered the University of Illinois in the fall of 1940; he
8enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942 and served in World War II;
9he attended Officer Training School at the University of
10Pennsylvania and Midshipman School at Northwestern
11University's Abbott Hall, Chicago Campus; he tested Higgins
12Boats on Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans while awaiting
13deployment on a Landing Ship Tank (LST); he served in the
14Pacific theater and experienced a number of enemy bombings; and
 
15    WHEREAS, After the war, Morry Hecker finished his education
16at the University of Illinois and graduated from Harvard
17University's Business School in 1948 with a Master of Business
18Administration; he returned to Champaign to work with his
19cousin at Stipes Publishing, which is still operating today;
20and
 
21    WHEREAS, Morry Hecker married Martha Zearing in 1950; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Morry Hecker was part of numerous church, civic,
2and community organizations; his board of director positions
3included 1st United Methodist Church of Champaign, the
4Champaign Rotary, the Champaign Public Library, the Champaign
5Chamber of Commerce, and The Salvation Army; he was active in
6the alumni organization for his college fraternity, Delta Tau
7Delta; he was also a member of the WILL-TV Citizen Advisory
8Board, the Krannert Marquee Council, the U of I President's
9Club, and the Carle Foundation; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Morry Hecker was known for his quick wit, humor,
11and sarcasm; he enjoyed traveling with Martha and his family to
12the shores of Michigan, the rest of the United States, the Holy
13Lands, Western and Eastern Europe, South America, Africa, the
14Greek Isles, Turkey, Great Britain, and other locations; in the
15summer of 1948, he visited his childhood friend, Bob Simon, in
16France, where Bob was a foreign correspondent for Time
17Magazine; and
 
18    WHEREAS, In 2012, Morry Hecker and his children immensely
19enjoyed an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. with other central
20Illinois veterans; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Morry Hecker's granddaughter, Grace, lived with
22him for four years and was often seen driving him to
23appointments, the grocery store, and out to dinner, which was a

 

 

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1great source of social activity in his latter years; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Morry Hecker enjoyed his coffee circle in downtown
3Champaign, Rotary lunches, fishing trips with his sons and
4grandsons, Krannert Performing Arts Center productions, word
5games, puzzles, bridge, and watching Jeopardy and The Golden
6Girls; he was an avid fan of the University of Illinois
7football and basketball teams; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Morry Hecker was preceded in death by his wife of
9almost 57 years, Martha; his parents; and his siblings, John,
10Helen, and James; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Morry Hecker is survived by his children and their
12families, John and Barbara Hecker and their children, Meredith
13Garreau (Scott) and Joseph, and Mary and Terry MacRae and their
14children, Grace and Camille; therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
16ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
17Morris Littlefield "Morry" Hecker Jr. and extend our sincere
18condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
19him; and be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21presented to the family of Morry Hecker as an expression of our

 

 

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1deepest sympathy.