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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Captain Chancellor Alfonso "Pete" Tzomes
4of Milan, who passed away on June 13, 2019; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Captain Tzomes was born in Williamsport,
6Pennsylvania on December 30, 1944; he was raised by James C.
7and Charlotte E. (Hill) Tzomes; he married Carolyn Eason in
8Rock Island on July 14, 2007; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Captain Tzomes graduated from the United States
10Naval Academy in 1967; he had sea duty assignments on five
11nuclear-powered submarines; in May 1983, he made history by
12becoming the first African American to command a U.S. submarine
13during a change of command ceremony aboard the USS Houston; he
14also had the pleasure of being assigned as Commanding Officer,
15Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes from June 1990 until June
161992; he served as a member of the Pacific Fleet Nuclear
17Propulsion Examining Board, as a Force Operations Officer on
18the staff of Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet,
19and as Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations/Inspector
20General at the Naval base in Charleston, South Carolina, from
21which he retired in 1994; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Captain Tzomes was proud of the recognition he

 

 

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1received for his achievements while serving as the Director in
2the Equal Opportunity Division of the Bureau of Naval Personnel
3and as the personal advisor to the Chief of Naval Personnel on
4equal opportunity issues; in 1991, he received the Black
5Engineer of the Year Award for his efforts in paving the path
6for leading the Navy's equal opportunity programs into the 21st
7century; and
 
8    WHEREAS, After departing the Navy, Captain Tzomes served as
9a Vice President at Bank One for one year; he then worked as a
10utility manager in the nuclear division of Exelon Corporation,
11where he held various leadership positions while primarily
12assigned to the Quad Cities Generating Station, until July of
132012; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Captain Tzomes continued to keep abreast of Navy
15and military issues through his affiliation with the Naval
16Submarine League, the U.S. Naval Institute, the United States
17Submarine Veterans, the Navy League, the Military Officers
18Association, and the American Legion; he was also a member of
19the NAACP and supported the USO; as a career submarine officer,
20he was proud of his service; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Captain Tzomes is survived by his wife of 12
22years, Carolyn Eason-Tzomes; his son and granddaughter from a
23previous marriage, Chancellor A. Tzomes II and Mariana Tzomes;

 

 

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1and his many other family members and friends; therefore, be it
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
3ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
4Captain Chancellor Alfonso "Pete" Tzomes and extend our sincere
5condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
6him; and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
8presented to the family of Captain Pete Tzomes as an expression
9of our deepest sympathy.