SR0683 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0683 LRB093 23444 HSS 53433 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with regret of the death of Charles Edward "Chuck" Curry on August 21, 2004; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Curry was born on January 22, 1934 in Jackson, Tennessee to Ersula Curry; he attended St. Joseph's Catholic School for Boys and Merry High School; he received a scholarship to Lane College, where he sang tenor, pledged Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and graduated in 1955; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Curry valiantly served his country as a member of the U.S. Army; he relocated to Chicago and worked for the U.S. Post Office and in the Chicago Public Schools as a teacher at the Mason Upper Grade Center; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Curry married Beverly Moore in the fall of 1961; and

WHEREAS, He worked in various professional positions where his gregarious personality served him well; he joined the staff of the Chicago Youth Centers and was an effective worker with street gang members; he later joined the staff of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, where his innate leadership helped to pioneer "Youth Action", a city-wide collaborative initiative to provide outreach services to street gangs; and

WHEREAS, In 1970, Mr. Curry joined the Quaker Oats Company as a Manager of Community Affairs; he continued his dedicated efforts to his community by serving on the boards of various social service and community-based organizations, including the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, Westside Association for Community Action, Urban Programs West, and many others; and

WHEREAS, Through his dual role at the Quaker Oats Company and the Quaker Oats Foundation, Mr. Curry was a staunch advocate for youth and continued to find ways to support programs and their efforts on behalf of underserved children, their families, and their communities; he served in a variety of leadership roles, most recently as the President of the Board of Directors of the Westside Association for Community Action Foundations and as the president of the Rat Pack, Inc., a national organization with chapters throughout the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Mr. Curry has been deeply felt by many, especially his wife, Beverly; his sons, Charles F., David E. (Jennifer), and Michael A.; his grandchildren, Grant Charles and Jackson Riley; his mother-in-law, Dora Moore; his brothers-in-law, Frankie Lee (Pearl), Ronnie (Erna), and Jake (Denise); his sisters-in-law, Jackie Moore, Millicent McGhee, and Jerilyn Brown; his cousins, Helen Osborne, Earl Mae Thomas, Joann Carey, Perry Roosevelt, and Denny Curry; and his many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and a legion of friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Charles Edward "Chuck" Curry, and we extend our sincerest 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 Mr. Curry as an expression of our deepest sympathy.