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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Albert Joseph DeVon Sr., beloved husband,
4father, grandfather, great-grandfather,
5great-great-grandfather, brother, uncle, "Papa", and "Big Al"
6to family and friends, who passed away on September 6, 2010;
7and
 
8    WHEREAS, He was born in 1921, in Westville, the second of
9three children of Mary and Albert (Hap) DeVon; he grew up
10during the Depression and was the son of a coal miner, so he
11learned at a young age to be industrious and to make his own
12luck; and
 
13    WHEREAS, While working several different odd-jobs, through
14sheer determination and dogged persistence, he was hired by
15Illinois Bell Telephone Company as a service engineer, a
16position he held for only a short while before moving up
17through the ranks; after 32 years, he retired from Illinois
18Bell as District Commercial Manager in Arlington Heights; and
 
19    WHEREAS, He was also a well-known community leader, serving
20as president of the North Lake County Community Chest
21(Waukegan) and president of the Kiwanis (Waukegan and Arlington
22Heights); he grew up in Springfield, where he met and married

 

 

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1the first love of his life, Virginia (Collins) DeVon in 1942;
2they had four children during which time his career took the
3family from Springfield to Waukegan; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Following the untimely death of his first wife in
51971, and after his retirement from Illinois Bell, he met and
6married the second love of his life, Dorothy (Divers) DeVon in
71986; together, he and his wife lived a short time in Hamilton,
8Ohio, before moving to Ormond Beach, Florida, where they had a
9beautiful home overlooking the Atlantic Ocean; and
 
10    WHEREAS, After the passing of his second wife in 2003, he
11stayed in Ormond Beach, living independently, where he had many
12dear friends, before moving to Libertyville in 2010 to be
13closer to his family; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Albert DeVon was a veteran of World War II,
15serving in the Army Air Corps from June, 1943 to December,
161945; he served in the CBI (China, Burma, India) "Theater of
17War" as an Aerial Engineer; he was awarded both the
18Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Albert DeVon Sr. will be greatly missed by his
20four children, stepson, and their spouses, Beverly (Gus)
21Petropolous, Albert (Holli) DeVon, Richard (Alicia) DeVon,
22Lynn (Jackie) DeVon, and Tom (Rickie) Divers; his brother,

 

 

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1Jimmy DeVon; his sister, Marietta Kirkwood; his nieces,
2Margene, Judy, and Phyllis; his nephew, Jim Jr.; his six
3grandchildren, Kim, Tommy, Sophia, Erica, Paul, and Philip; his
4great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, Noah,
5Zaccur, Angelique, Rick, Stacy, Jordie, Kelly, Kyle, Dino,
6Alyssa, Ashley, Josalyn, Jaalen, and Janai; and his many dear
7family and friends from Springfield, including his
8sister-in-law, Wanda Soyers and her family; therefore, be it
 
9    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
10ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
11his family and friends, the passing of Albert DeVon Sr.; and be
12it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14presented to the family of Albert DeVon Sr. as a symbol of our
15sincere sympathy.