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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Richard Thomas "Dick" Gainey of Coal
4Valley, who passed away on July 16, 2019; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Dick Gainey was born in Erie to Stacey and Harriet
6Gainey on February 26, 1926; he served in the United States
7Marines during World War II and participated in the Battle of
8Okinawa and the occupation of Japan; he married Agnes Van den
9Berghe in September 1951; the first in his family to go to
10college, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical
11Engineering from Bradley University in 1952; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Dick Gainey began his career at John Deere; in
131957, he moved to California to pursue a career in aerospace;
14he worked on the environmental control system for the Apollo
15command module, specifically the oxygen pressure regulator,
16water valve, and cryogenic tanks; later, he was the responsible
17engineering authority for a space-qualified, closed-loop
18cryogenic cooler to cool infrared sensors to ten degrees
19kelvin; he was instrumental in the development of the Maverick
20Missile, which is still in use today; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Dick Gainey was an active member of St. James
22Catholic Church in Redondo Beach for over 50 years; following

 

 

SR0662- 2 -LRB101 13882 ALS 62745 r

1his retirement, he and Agnes ran the church's program for the
2homeless for over 20 years; recently, they received the Shining
3Star Award for their service to the parish community; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Dick Gainey is survived by his wife of 68 years,
5Agnes; his children, James (Susan), Daniel, Steven (Debra), and
6Jeanine (Keith); his grandchildren, Kathryn, Kristopher,
7Kimberly, Kylene, Kurtis, Patrick, Timothy, Maren, Ryanne,
8Neil, and Angela; his six great-grandchildren; and his sister,
9Mary Newton; therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
11ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
12Richard Thomas "Dick" Gainey and extend our sincere condolences
13to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be
14it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16presented to the family of Dick Gainey as an expression of our
17deepest sympathy.