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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Donald E. Dobrino, who passed away on
4July 4, 2021; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Donald Dobrino was born in Mt. Olive to Thomas
6and Mary Dobrino on February 3, 1935; he graduated from Mt.
7Olive High School in 1953, where he excelled in all major
8sports and led the Wildcats to four consecutive South Central
9Conference Championships; he was recruited by several Division
101 universities and accepted a full scholarship to the
11University of Iowa to play football and baseball for the
12Hawkeyes; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Donald Dobrino excelled in both football and
14baseball while at Iowa; the Hawkeyes won the Big Ten
15Championship in 1956, which earned them a trip to Pasadena to
16play in the Rose Bowl, where they defeated Oregon State 35 to
1718; as a pitcher for the baseball team, he became known as the
18"Strikeout King" of the Big Ten; after graduation, he was
19drafted by the Washington Football Team but later accepted an
20offer from the Pittsburgh Pirates and advanced as far as
21Triple A; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Donald Dobrino decided to look for more stable

 

 

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1employment in order to support his wife, Jeanette, and a
2growing family; he accepted a teaching job with the Depue
3School District, where he taught physical education and
4coached several sports; while there, he initiated a football
5program before accepting a coaching position at Gillespie High
6School; he coached the Gillespie Miners to many successful
7seasons, including 1976 and 1990 appearances in the 2A finals;
8and
 
9    WHEREAS, Donald Dobrino married his second wife, Cyrelda
10"Cookie" Dobrino in 1978; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Donald Dobrino retired in 1996 from teaching but
12continued coaching the Miners; he returned to coaching at Mt.
13Olive, and the Wildcats won two Prairie State Conference
14titles and qualified for the IHSA football playoffs seven
15times; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Donald Dobrino's coaching record ranks him as the
1714th winningest high school coach in Illinois of all time; he
18was inducted into the Illinois High School Hall of fame in 1987
19and was named West Central Illinois Coach of the Year in 2006
20and 2008; in 2006, he was inducted into the National High
21School Athletics Coaches Association Hall of Fame and named
22Coach of the Week by the Chicago Bears; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Donald Dobrino was affectionately known as
2"Duke"; he coached his son, Robert Dobrino, two stepsons, Rick
3and Ed Herrera, and finally his grandson, Daniel Dobrino,
4spanning 50 years of coaching; he always wanted to be out on
5the field with young coaches and young athletes teaching them
6what he had learned in a life-time of coaching; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Donald Dobrino was preceded in death by his
8parents and his brothers, Thomas and Robert; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Donald Dobrino is survived by his wife, Cyrelda;
10his children, Lori Small, Carla Smith (Jim Freytag), Robert
11(Diane) Dobrino, and Donette (Michael) Clark; his stepsons,
12Rich (Theresa) and Edward (Bernie) Herrera; his grandchildren,
13Jeremy, Sean, Brandon (Ginny), Daniel, Jenna, Mitchell,
14Courtney, Kyleigh, Osiana, and Marquez; and his
15great-granddaughters, Makenna and Keira; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
17ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
18Donald E. Dobrino and extend our sincere condolences to his
19family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
20further
 
21    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
22presented to the family of Donald Dobrino as an expression of

 

 

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1our deepest sympathy.