SR2338 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR2338 LRB099 23790 MST 51308 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Bill Knight of Evanston, who passed away on September 25, 2016; and

WHEREAS, Bill Knight was born in Moberly, Missouri to Albert Avery and Lona Mae (Capps) Knight on April 15, 1928; he graduated from Carthage High School in 1946 and attended Western Illinois State Teachers College; he married Betty Lou Stark on February 4, 1949; and

WHEREAS, Bill Knight had a 40-year career at Western Illinois Electric Co-op, where he was a groundman, lineman, engineer, and supervisor; and

WHEREAS, In retirement, Bill Knight taught himself piano, woodworking, furniture refinishing, and clock repair; he was interested in genealogy and traced his family to Robert De Dene in England before the time of William the Conqueror; he enjoyed following the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Bears, playing bridge or his ukulele, listening to jazz (especially Dixieland), mowing and clearing snow on his Kubota, having "coffee with the boys" at Ayerco in Carthage, and golfing, making six holes-in-one over a 10-year span; and

WHEREAS, Bill Knight was a volunteer with the SHARE food program in Hancock County; he was a former Elder with the Elvaston Community Church; he valued his faith and loved reading, especially humorists, history, and his favorite book, "To Kill a Mockingbird", which he read dozens of times; and

WHEREAS, Bill Knight was preceded in death by his wife, Betty; his parents; and a great group of animals, from Duke and Bucky to Benji and Em, a one-eyed cat he rescued from a ditch; and

WHEREAS, Bill Knight is survived by his sons, Bill (Terry) Knight Jr., and Tracy (Sharon) Knight; his grandson, Russell Baker; his sister, Bonnie Graves; several nieces and nephews; his friend, Tina Harl; and his rescue dog, Molly, "the nicest girl in town"; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Bill Knight, 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 Bill Knight as an expression of our deepest sympathy.