SR0171 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0171 LRB103 31727 LAW 60309 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Farrell Cole "Dutch" Gay of Springfield, who passed away on March 27, 2023; and

WHEREAS, Farrell Gay was born to Eugene V. Gay and Naomi Cole Gay in Albia, Iowa on July 13, 1933; he graduated from Franklin High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; he attended Coe College, where he studied art and lettered in track all four years; he married Ann LeFebure on April 3, 1955; and

WHEREAS, While still in college, Farrell Gay took a sales position in January 1956 with Standard Fruit and Steamship Company, a major importer of bananas based in New Orleans; later in the year, he moved to St. Louis as acting sales manager for Standard Fruit; he remained in that position for 2.5 years before joining Brown and Loe, a fruit and vegetable brokerage firm in St. Louis; he partnered with Manager Tom Lange and colleague Paul Beisser to purchase the brokerage office from the retiring Brown and Loe owners in 1960, and they proceeded to open their first Tom Lange Company office; he opened a second Lange office in Springfield four years later, with his first sale being a load of potatoes at a profit of $38; through hard work and dedication, he expanded the business to include hiring staff and selling throughout central Illinois, Indiana, and the Midwest; and

WHEREAS, Farrell Gay began his term as president of the Lange Company in 1977, with seven midwestern Lange sales offices; after having served as president in Springfield for 18 years, he became board chairman in 1995 before retiring in August 1997, with 20 Lange offices in the United States and one in Toronto, Canada; he was succeeded as CEO by his friend and long-time partner, Phil Gumpert; and

WHEREAS, Farrell Gay was active with his partners, Tom Lange and Phil Gumpert, in several other endeavors, and they were affectionately known by the managers and employees as "The Three Wise Men"; in 1979, they purchased the two square block site of the former Sangamo Electric and Illinois Watch Company, and, after extensive renovations that later earned them the Mayor's City Preservation Award, they sold the site to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency in 1998; they were also owners of TLC, Inc., a national transporter of multiple products with a refrigerated fleet of 300 tractors and 500 trailers that was purchased by a publicly held Texas-based transportation company in 1996; and

WHEREAS, Farrell Gay was also a founding partner and owner of The Gables shopping complex; and

WHEREAS, Farrell Gay belonged to several organizations and served on the boards of Copley First Citizen, the Champion Federal Savings and Loan Association in Bloomington, the Rail Classic and State Farm Classic golf tournaments, the Sangamo Club, the Illini Country Club, the Springfield Art Association, and the Island Bay Yacht Club, where he was named commodore in 1979; he was a member of the State of Illinois Public Arts Advisory Council and the Imperial Golf Club in Naples, Florida; he served on the broker's division of the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association for six years, with two being spent as president; he was chairman of the Old Capitol Art Fair in 1973, returning as an honorary chairman 30 years later in 2003; and

WHEREAS, Farrell Gay was heavily involved with the Elijah Iles House Foundation, serving as a board member and president; he organized and began the Elijah Iles Golf Tournament in 2010, and its proceeds garnered $52,500 for the Iles House over the next five years; he also founded the Farrell and Ann Gay Museum of Springfield history, located in the Elijah Iles House; and

WHEREAS, Farrell Gay further gave back to his community through reviving the Illinois Watch Company's 1925 nationwide Lincoln essay contest in 2009, bringing the scholarship competition back to students of Springfield's six high schools; he also lent his artistic skills to face painting for children at the Old State Capitol and the Elijah Iles House; and

WHEREAS, Farrell Gay was a collector of old and classic automobiles, and he belonged to the Classic Car Club of America, the National Woodie Club, and the Cadillac/LaSalle Club; he also enjoyed collecting Illinois Watch Company wrist watches, both men's and women's, and his collection has been recognized as the finest and most extensive in the country; and

WHEREAS, Farrell Gay is survived by his sons, Cole (Sharon) Gay and Todd (Suzi) Gay; his grandchildren, Zoey Gay, Olivia (Zach) Warman, Melissa (TJ) Vanheil, and Jett Gay; his sister, Eleanor Siepman; and his three great-grandchildren; 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 Farrell Cole "Dutch" Gay 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 Farrell Gay as an expression of our deepest sympathy.