HR0782 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0782 LRB094 16191 HSS 51434 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois learned with sadness of the death of Coleman Miller on Saturday, December 17, 2005; and

WHEREAS, He was born on March 2, 1933, to Dr. William Edward and Marie Coleman Miller in Nashville, Tennessee; he spent his childhood primarily in Jackson, Mississippi, with his older siblings William Edward and Lucille Marie; as a young adult he attended Tougaloo College and later transferred to Fisk University on a basketball scholarship and earned his Bachelors of Arts degree in sociology; and

WHEREAS, Upon receiving an honorable discharge as a Master Sergeant, he enrolled in George Williams College in Chicago, where he earned a master's degree in social work administration; and

WHEREAS, He took great pride in his accomplishments as a socially conscious community leader; in addition to his time in the Chicago area, his long career in social work took him to Cleveland, Ohio, to Brooklyn, New York, back to Cleveland, Ohio, and later to Jackson, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, In 1969, Mr. Miller moved to Evanston, Illinois, and became the Executive Director of Beacon Neighborhood House in Chicago; as Executive Director, he started with a budget of $200,000 per year, which eventually grew under his leadership to over $2,000,000; during his tenure he initiated food, work, and educational programs to help people in the surrounding communities in the city of Chicago; one of his major accomplishments was the formation of a credit union; and

WHEREAS, He served as President of the Evanston, Illinois, branch of the N.A.A.C.P. for many years and was appointed to public office by the Mayor of Evanston, where he served as the city's township supervisor; and

WHEREAS, In 1984, Mr. Miller returned to Jackson, Mississippi, where he founded a mortgage brokerage company called Family Mortgage Company, Inc.; he named it Family Mortgage because of his desire to build a strong family business to pass down to future generations; as a prominent and successful broker, he served as president of the Mortgage Brokerage Association of Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, He was a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church; he wanted to be remembered as a hard worker who believed in equality and civil rights; he thought of himself as a dreamer and a fighter; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Coleman Miller has been deeply felt by many, especially his children, Paul (Vickie), Mark (Jennifer), David (Donna), and Patrice (Tim); his grandchildren, Callie, Lena, Nicole, Sky, Nora, Daniel, and Donovan; his former wife of 26 years, Martha Miller; and his many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Coleman Miller, and we extend our deepest sympathy 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 his family as an expression of our sincerest condolences.