SR0531 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0531 LRB101 12829 ALS 61664 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Captain Chancellor Alfonso "Pete" Tzomes of Milan, who passed away on June 13, 2019; and

WHEREAS, Captain Tzomes was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on December 30, 1944; he was raised by James C. and Charlotte E. (Hill) Tzomes; he married Carolyn Eason in Rock Island on July 14, 2007; and

WHEREAS, Captain Tzomes graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1967; he had sea duty assignments on five nuclear-powered submarines; in May 1983, he made history by becoming the first African American to command a U.S. submarine during a change of command ceremony aboard the USS Houston; he also had the pleasure of being assigned as Commanding Officer, Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes from June 1990 until June 1992; he served as a member of the Pacific Fleet Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board, as a Force Operations Officer on the staff of Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and as Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations/Inspector General at the Naval base in Charleston, South Carolina, from which he retired in 1994; and

WHEREAS, Captain Tzomes was proud of the recognition he received for his achievements while serving as the Director in the Equal Opportunity Division of the Bureau of Naval Personnel and as the personal advisor to the Chief of Naval Personnel on equal opportunity issues; in 1991, he received the Black Engineer of the Year Award for his efforts in paving the path for leading the Navy's equal opportunity programs into the 21st century; and

WHEREAS, After departing the Navy, Captain Tzomes served as a Vice President at Bank One for one year; he then worked as a utility manager in the nuclear division of Exelon Corporation, where he held various leadership positions while primarily assigned to the Quad Cities Generating Station, until July of 2012; and

WHEREAS, Captain Tzomes continued to keep abreast of Navy and military issues through his affiliation with the Naval Submarine League, the U.S. Naval Institute, the United States Submarine Veterans, the Navy League, the Military Officers Association, and the American Legion; he was also a member of the NAACP and supported the USO; as a career submarine officer, he was proud of his service; and

WHEREAS, Captain Tzomes is survived by his wife of 12 years, Carolyn Eason-Tzomes; his son and granddaughter from a previous marriage, Chancellor A. Tzomes II and Mariana Tzomes; and his many other family members and friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Captain Chancellor Alfonso "Pete" Tzomes and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Captain Pete Tzomes as an expression of our deepest sympathy.