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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Walter William "Walt" Bittner of Normal,
4who passed away on October 28, 2015; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Walter Bittner was born on November 12, 1917 in
6Springfield, Massachusetts; his parents were William and
7Helene Bittner; he married Irene Crutcher Bittner on May 17,
81941; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Walter Bittner was the owner and operator of
10Bittner's Confectionary at Washington Street and Morris Avenue
11in Bloomington from 1938 to 1953; after selling the business,
12he began working at the National Bank of Bloomington, where he
13rose through the ranks from teller to vice president; he later
14worked for the Illinois Secretary of State Corporations
15Department and the driver's license facility in Bloomington;
16and
 
17    WHEREAS, Walter Bittner's 44-year career in politics began
18in 1953; among the customers of his confectionary were members
19of the Bloomington City Council, who regularly gathered for
20hamburgers after Council meetings; because he often questioned
21their decisions, an alderman challenged him to run for a seat;
22upon being elected to the position in 1953, he served on the

 

 

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1Council for 4 terms until being elected as Mayor in 1969; as
2Mayor, he was most proud of his deciding vote to keep Miller
3Park Zoo open; he retired from the Mayor's Office in 1977, but
4was asked to fill a Council vacancy less than a year later; he
5subsequently served another 20 years on the Council; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In 1998, Walter Bittner and his wife asked the
7City to find a community use for their home at 504 West
8Washington Street; the property became Mayors Manor, which
9provides transitional housing for formerly homeless people; in
102004, the City named a new park on Towanda-Barnes Road after
11him in honor of his accomplishments; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Walter Bittner was a founding member of the McLean
13County Antique Automobile Club in 1963 and owned well over 100
14antique cars during his adult life; he served on the planning
15committee of the Illinois Secretary of State's Antique
16Automobile and Sports Car Meet for 60 years, beginning with its
17first event in 1949; he was also a member of the Cross Pointe
18Church of God's Anderson, Indiana affiliate and held numerous
19committee positions and memberships throughout his community;
20and
 
21    WHEREAS, Walter Bittner was preceded in death by his wife,
22Irene; his parents; and his sister, Louise Giesecke; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Walter Bittner is survived by his children, Rick
2(Noni) Bittner, Pam (Dave) Merrill, Jim (Marsha) Bittner, and
3Lisa (Mark) Burnett Butzow; his 10 grandchildren; his 13
4great-grandchildren; and his great-great-grandchild;
5therefore, be it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
7ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his
8family and friends, mourn the passing of Walter William "Walt"
9Bittner; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
11presented to the family of Walter Bittner as an expression of
12our sympathy.