Full Text of SR1598 101st General Assembly
SR1598 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 | | learn of the death of Reverend Dr. Leon Dorsey Finney Jr., who | 4 | | passed away on September 4, 2020; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Leon Finney was born to Leon Dorsey Sr. and | 6 | | Adline Jones Finney in Louise, Mississippi on July 7, 1938; he | 7 | | moved to Chicago at a young age and graduated from Hyde Park | 8 | | Academy High School in 1957; he attended the University of | 9 | | Illinois and then enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, | 10 | | where he served as a military police officer and worked in | 11 | | counterintelligence; he later earned post-baccalaureate | 12 | | degrees in economics, urban community development, theological | 13 | | studies, and public administration from Goddard College, | 14 | | McCormick Theological Seminary, and Nova University, | 15 | | respectively; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, After a short career in banking and finance, Dr. | 17 | | Leon Finney found his greatest joy was serving his community; | 18 | | he trained in the art of community organizing and was recruited | 19 | | to work for the Woodlawn Organization; he would later be named | 20 | | as the executive director of the organization and then | 21 | | president and fought tirelessly to revitalize urban | 22 | | communities; he also taught at various colleges and | 23 | | universities, including the University of Chicago, the |
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| 1 | | Lutheran School of Theology, the University of Illinois, | 2 | | Northwestern University, the Presbyterian College of Korea, | 3 | | and the Theological College of the Bahamas; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Leon Finney served as vice chairman of the | 5 | | Chicago Public Housing Authority; he was a member of the board | 6 | | of trustees for Chicago State University and the YMCA; he had | 7 | | also been a member of the Chicago Planning Commission; he | 8 | | founded Christ Apostolic Church and served as its pastor until | 9 | | the church merged with Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church | 10 | | in Bronzeville, where he served as senior pastor; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Leon Finney received numerous awards and | 12 | | honors for his professional and civic work; he authored several | 13 | | publications on economic and social development and created | 14 | | programs that developed future leaders, like the African | 15 | | American Leadership program at McCormick Theological Seminary; | 16 | | and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Leon Dorsey was preceded in death by his | 18 | | parents;
the mother of his children, Sharon McGaughey Finney; | 19 | | and his son, Leon (Tre') Dorsey Finney, III; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Leon Dorsey is survived by his daughter, | 21 | | Kristin Finney-Cooke; his son-in-law, Dr. Gerald Lynzie Cooke; | 22 | | his three grandchildren, Jaiden, Ava, and Gerald (Liam); his |
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| 1 | | siblings, Gwen, Zenobia (Rene), Michael, Michelle, and Andre; | 2 | | his former wife,
Attorney Georgette Greenlee; his cousins, | 3 | | Attorney James Montgomery, Warren Jones, former Secretary of | 4 | | Agriculture Michael Espy, and Henry Espy; and his many loving | 5 | | nieces, nephews, and family friends; therefore, be it
| 6 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 7 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
| 8 | | Reverend Dr. Leon Dorsey Finney Jr. after a lifetime of service | 9 | | and dedication to social justice and extend our sincere
| 10 | | condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
| 11 | | him; and be it further
| 12 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
| 13 | | presented to the family of Dr. Leon Finney as an expression of
| 14 | | our deepest sympathy.
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