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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Edward Joseph "Ed" Derwinski was a son of
3Illinois, having been born in Chicago on September 15, 1926;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, As a member of the "Greatest Generation", Ed
6Derwinski served his country in World War II, assigned to duty
7on the Pacific front; after the surrender of Japan aboard the
8"U.S.S. Missouri", he continued his time in uniform during the
9occupation of Japan; and
 
10    WHEREAS, In his return to civilian life after World War II,
11Ed Derwinski was a real-life counterpart of George Bailey in
12the 1946 classic movie, "It's a Wonderful Life"; after the
13death of his father, Ed led his brothers to carry on the family
14building and loan, West Pullman Savings and Loan, a community
15savings institution; and
 
16    WHEREAS, After completing his education at Loyola
17University, Ed Derwinski joined the Illinois House of
18Representatives as an elected member of the 70th General
19Assembly (1957-58) representing the 24th Legislative District;
20and
 
21    WHEREAS, In the 1958 general election, Ed Derwinski ran for

 

 

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1and was elected by his fellow Illinoisans to the United States
2House of Representatives, representing the 4th Congressional
3District; as a congressman, he served the State of Illinois and
4the people of the United States for 24 years, from 1959 until
51993; and
 
6    WHEREAS, As a congressman, Ed Derwinski specialized in
7foreign affairs, becoming a ranking member of the House Foreign
8Affairs Committee; in this role, he fought tirelessly to keep
9the hope of freedom alive in the countries then trapped behind
10the Iron Curtain; he was repeatedly honored by his fellow
11Polish-Americans for his advocacy on behalf of the people of
12Poland, as well as the other sovereign nations of Central and
13Eastern Europe that, at that time, groaned under the heel of
14Soviet and Yugoslavian communist occupation; and
 
15    WHEREAS, After leaving the U.S. House at the end of the
1697th Congress, Ed Derwinski joined the Reagan Administration in
17a variety of roles, including Under Secretary of State for
18Security Assistance, where he oversaw Ronald Reagan's
19military-aid program as the Soviet empire approached its
20collapse; and
 
21    WHEREAS, When the U.S. Veterans Administration was
22elevated to Cabinet status in March of 1989, newly-elected
23President George H.W. Bush appointed Under Secretary Ed

 

 

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1Derwinski to be the nation's first Secretary of the Department
2of Veterans Affairs (USDVA), giving this son of Chicago a seat
3at the White House cabinet table; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Ed Derwinski served as USDVA Secretary from March
515, 1989, until September 26, 1992; this period saw not only
6the culmination of his lifelong fight to tear down the Berlin
7Wall and bring freedom to Poland and other countries of the
8Soviet empire, but also the significant expansion of his
9Department as it took on new responsibilities associated with
10the aging of his fellow World War II veterans and growth in the
11health-care and other benefits that his country would provide
12to armed forces veterans of the Cold War and beyond; and
 
13    WHEREAS, After conclusion of his federal service in 1992,
14Ed Derwinski returned to the Chicago area to live in
15retirement, enjoying the companionship of his second wife,
16Bonita "Bonnie" Derwinski, his daughter, Maureen Quattrocki,
17his son, Michael Derwinski, his step-daughter, Maggie Hickey,
18and his step-son, Kevin Hickey; and
 
19    WHEREAS, After a life spent fruitfully and triumphantly in
20the service of his country, Illinois State Representative, U.S.
21Representative, and Secretary Ed Derwinski passed away on
22January 15, 2012; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
3we mourn the death of our friend and colleague, Edward J. "Ed"
4Derwinski, and salute his impeccable record of service to this
5nation; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That we pledge to continue to remember and
7cherish in our hearts the time in uniform spent by all of our
8American veterans; our country is what it is because of these
9men and women; Ed was their leader for a time, but all of them,
10together, are our leaders; and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
12presented to the wife of this great patriot, Bonita "Bonnie"
13Derwinski, his daughter, Maureen Quattrocki, his son, Michael
14Derwinski, his step-daughter, Maggie Hickey, and his step-son,
15Kevin Hickey.