SR0107 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0107 LRB103 31212 ECR 58129 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of James Leon "Jim" Fox of Wee-Ma-Tuk, who passed away on December 15, 2022; and

WHEREAS, James Fox was born to Lewis James and Velma (McCullough) Fox in Hannibal, Missouri on August 8, 1936; he served in the U.S. Army from 1960 to 1962; during his military service, he was assigned as an armed guard under the U.S. Army Security Agency (ASA), where he was privileged to serve as a convoy security escort for then-Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie I; he married Sharon Naomi Rees in Peoria on October 14, 1964, and she preceded him in death on November 15, 2018; and

WHEREAS, James Fox possessed a strong work ethic from a young age; he obtained his first job at Peoria Brick Company in 1950 at the age of 14 by fibbing about his age; as a teenager, he traveled out of state for summer jobs, which included working at a lumberyard and on a ranch; as an adult, he labored as a sheet metal worker for 41 years before retiring on September 29, 1998; and

WHEREAS, James Fox was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and American Legion Post 16, both in Canton; he was a member of Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 1 in Peoria for 41 years; he was also a benefactor life member of the National Rifle Association; and

WHEREAS, James Fox loved fishing and hunting; he was an avid duck hunter, and he especially enjoyed hunting at the Red Leg Duck Club and, in the last few years, on his farm near Lewiston; he was a connoisseur of collecting duck and turkey calls; he was also a collector of Native American artifacts and other antiques; he enjoyed gardening and canning vegetables with his wife for many years; and

WHEREAS, James Fox was preceded in death by his parents; his infant brother, Lewis Eugene Fox; and his sister, Rose E. (Fox) Sparkman; and

WHEREAS, James Fox is survived by his son, James R. (Leigh Ann) Fox; his daughters, Amy (Shannon Paris) Fox and Kathleen "Kady" (Kevin Dupent) Trier; his grandchildren, James Dillon Fox, Emily E. Trier, Madison R. Trier, and Sophia K. Dupent; and his brother, Robert W. (Elsie) Fox; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of James Leon "Jim" Fox 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 James Fox as an expression of our deepest sympathy.