SR0813 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0813 LRB102 26111 LAW 35613 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Richard L. Duchossois of Barrington Hills, who passed away on January 28, 2022; and

WHEREAS, Richard Duchossois was born to Ernestine and Alphonse Duchossois in Chicago on October 7, 1921; he was a native of Chicago; he attended Morgan Park Military Academy during his formative years; he attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia; he served in the U.S. Army during World War II, where he was assigned to the 610th Tank Destroyer Battalion and served as commander of a Tank Destroyer Company throughout five European campaigns under General George S. Patton; he survived a gunshot wound, recovered, and returned to the front, leading his company through famed operations such as The Battle of the Bulge; he was awarded a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, and the Order of St. Maurice medallion; he received the Legion d'Honneur on the 70th anniversary of D-Day by the French government in Normandy, France in 2014; he married Beverly Thrall in July 1943, and they had four children, Craig, Dayle, Bruce, and Kimberly, and settled in Flossmoor; he later married Mary Judith McKeage in 2000; and

WHEREAS, Upon his return home from the war, Richard Duchossois joined his wife's family's railcar parts and repair business, Thrall Car Manufacturing Company, in Chicago Heights; he honed his intuitive business instincts while there, relentlessly striving for growth and improvement; he grew the company from 35 employees to 3,000 employees by the time it was acquired by the Trinity Rail Group in 2001, diversifying his company over the years with the purchase of Chamberlain Manufacturing Group, broadcast outlets, Arlington Park, and a number of other businesses; and

WHEREAS, Richard Duchossois was most associated with Arlington Park, the thoroughbred racetrack located in Arlington Heights; after an electrical fire destroyed the entire facility in 1985, he galvanized his employees to hold the famed Arlington Million race just days after the fire; this feat became a horseracing legend known as the "Miracle Million" and marked the first time a racetrack was ever awarded racing's highest honor, the Eclipse Special Award; he then championed the facility's rebuild, setting it apart from other racetracks globally with its striking cantilevered roof, world-class facilities, and international stakes races; during his tenure in horseracing, he oversaw the merger of Arlington Park with Churchill Downs Incorporated in 2000, brought the 2002 Breeders Cup to Arlington Park, owned one of the leading breeding farms in Illinois, and actively worked to influence and shape the racing industry and its legislation; he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2019; and

WHEREAS, Richard Duchossois made his first major philanthropic gift to the University of Chicago Medical Center in 1978 in response to the care and treatment his wife Beverly was receiving before her passing in 1980; his gift supported world-renowned experts in lymphoma, including Dr. John Ultmann as the first director of the Cancer Research Center at the University of Chicago; he established The Duchossois Family Foundation soon after; he supported cancer research in partnership with the University of Chicago and initiatives such as Patient Navigation Services with the American Cancer Society, among others; and

WHEREAS, Richard Duchossois served as a trustee of the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he participated in several oral history projects; and

WHEREAS, In his 100 years of life, Richard Duchossois left an indelible impression on the world as a decorated war hero, a renowned entrepreneur, a horseracing icon, a philanthropist, a husband, a father, an uncle, a grandfather, a great-grandfather, and a friend; he will be remembered for his leadership, humility, generosity, perseverance, and dedication to the service of others; and

WHEREAS, Richard Duchossois was preceded in death by first wife, Beverly, and their son, R. Bruce Duchossois; and

WHEREAS, Richard Duchossois is survived by his wife, Mary Judith (McKeage); his son, Craig J. Duchossois (Janet); his daughters, Dayle Duchossois-Fortino (Ed) and Kimberly Duchossois; his stepsons, Steve Marchi (Sherrie) and Paul Marchi (Judy); his seven grandchildren and their spouses; his two step-grandchildren; and his 14 great-grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Richard L. Duchossois 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 Richard Duchossois as an expression of our deepest sympathy.