Full Text of SR1222 103rd General Assembly
SR1222 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | | SR1222 | | LRB103 42749 MST 75987 r |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION | 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | 3 | | to learn of the death of Brigadier General (Ret.) Walter James | 4 | | Whitfield of Phoenix, Arizona, who passed away on August 16, | 5 | | 2024; and | 6 | | WHEREAS, Walter Whitfield was born in Jackson, Mississippi | 7 | | to Buster and Willie Whitfield on November 5, 1948, and his | 8 | | family relocated to Chicago's West Side when he was eight; he | 9 | | graduated from Tilden Technical High School in 1966 and | 10 | | attended Chicago's City Colleges; he enlisted in the U.S. Army | 11 | | in 1967 and qualified for Officer Candidate School, leading to | 12 | | a commission as a second lieutenant in the field artillery | 13 | | division; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, Walter Whitfield's military career was exemplary; | 15 | | he served with distinction, earning promotions from captain | 16 | | during the Vietnam War to brigadier general of the 33rd | 17 | | Separate Infantry Brigade in the Illinois Army National Guard; | 18 | | he was recognized as the first Black brigadier general in the | 19 | | Illinois National Guard in 1992; his military service spanned | 20 | | 41 years, culminating in his retirement on October 1, 1997 | 21 | | from the Illinois National Guard as a brigadier general; and | 22 | | WHEREAS, Walter Whitfield made significant contributions |
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| 1 | | in the engineering field; he worked as an electrical engineer | 2 | | for Furnas Electric in Illinois from 1977 to 1995 and later as | 3 | | a division solar engineer for Kyocera in Arizona until his | 4 | | retirement in 2017; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Walter Whitfield was a lifetime member and served | 6 | | as Exalted Ruler of William H. Patterson Elks Lodge #477; he | 7 | | was also a lifetime member of Travis L. Williams American | 8 | | Legion Post #1710 and a dedicated member of VFW Post #65, where | 9 | | he served as post commander for two years; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, Walter Whitfield committed to his faith at an | 11 | | early age and was an active and dedicated member of the Mt. | 12 | | Hebron Missionary Baptist Church; he remained rooted in his | 13 | | faith throughout his life, and upon moving to Phoenix, he | 14 | | joined the First Institutional Baptist Church, where he | 15 | | participated in the men's ministry, attending retreats and | 16 | | conferences; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, Walter Whitfield was preceded in death by his | 18 | | parents; his brother, Elbert Lee Jefferson; and his sister, | 19 | | Willa B. Sotherland; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, Walter Whitfield is survived by his beloved wife, | 21 | | Jackie Platt-Whitfield; his stepson, Deon Platt; his grandson, | 22 | | Sheldon Platt; his children from previous relationships, Eric |
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| 1 | | Williams Sr., Gavin (Jae) Whitfield, and Shani Whitfield; his | 2 | | grandchildren, Eric Williams Jr. and Mecca Whitfield; his | 3 | | favorite nephew, Rayburn (Delanor) Tucker; and numerous | 4 | | nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and former colleagues; | 5 | | therefore, be it | 6 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | 7 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 8 | | Brigadier General (Ret.) Walter James Whitfield and extend our | 9 | | sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew | 10 | | and loved him; and be it further | 11 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 12 | | presented to the family of Walter Whitfield as an expression | 13 | | of our deepest sympathy. |
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