HR0807 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0807 LRB096 17037 GRL 32351 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Allen Hilaire Small, who passed away on December 26, 2009; and

WHEREAS, Allen Small was born on July 13, 1928 in Evanston; his parents were Azalea and Allen Lawrence Small; he was the older brother of Conrad and Roselle; and

WHEREAS, Allen Small was raised in the Washington Park area of Chicago and on the far South Side, near the Chesterfield community; and

WHEREAS, Allen Small attended St. Anselm School and Fenger High School; he then furthered his education by earning associate's degrees from the Illinois Institute of Technology and Wilson Junior College and his bachelor's degree from DePaul University; and

WHEREAS, Allen Small served as a military police officer in the United States Army until he was honorably discharged; during his career in the Army, he fought in the Korean War; after returning to Chicago, he began working at the United States Post Office; and

WHEREAS, Soon after his marriage, Allen Small landed a coveted position with the City of Chicago's Building Department, where he worked for 40 years until his retirement; he, along with a handful of other African-American men, was hired as a building inspector, although no one thought the men would last a year; his final project as Supervisor of Demolition was the demolition of the old Comiskey Park; and

WHEREAS, Allen Small was often thought of as a "walking encyclopedia"; he read the Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z; and

WHEREAS, Allen Small married Marian Morris in 1957; together, the couple had 2 children, Perri Roselle and Allen Conrad; and

WHEREAS, Allen Small is survived by his children, Perri and Allen; his wife, Marian; his great-aunt, Annabelle Smith; his sisters-in-law, Angela Wiley and Barbara Small; his niece, Eva Hill; his godson, Jalen-Paul Malone; and his many other relatives and friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Allen Hilaire Small; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Allen Hilaire Small as an expression of our sympathy.