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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
| 3 | learn of the death of Arthur S. Nicholas, who passed away on | ||||||
| 4 | December 22, 2011; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, He was a veteran of the United States Navy; he | ||||||
| 6 | grew up in Greece and actively fought the Communists in that | ||||||
| 7 | country following World War II; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, After emigrating to the United States, he worked | ||||||
| 9 | as a dishwasher, but within 25 years became President of a | ||||||
| 10 | Fortune 500 Company and a member of the Young Presidents | ||||||
| 11 | Organization; during that time, he earned a degree in Chemical | ||||||
| 12 | Engineering from the University of Michigan, founded Leon | ||||||
| 13 | Chemicals, Inc., an innovative and profitable automotive | ||||||
| 14 | plastics supplier, authored 13 patents, and joined US | ||||||
| 15 | Industries, a global conglomerate, where he was appointed | ||||||
| 16 | President in 1973; and
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| 17 | WHEREAS, Following his tenure at US Industries, he was | ||||||
| 18 | brought in by a group of banks to serve as President of | ||||||
| 19 | Evanston-based Apeco Corporation, where he lead the firm out of | ||||||
| 20 | Chapter 11 bankruptcy status; he later entered the field of | ||||||
| 21 | investment banking as Partner at the Chicago firm Nicholas, | ||||||
| 22 | Feder and Jaffe, Inc.; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, In his retirement, he funded a scholarship at the | ||||||
| 2 | University of Michigan to help ensure that economically | ||||||
| 3 | disadvantaged students have the same opportunities that | ||||||
| 4 | allowed him to be successful; he was also a key figure in the | ||||||
| 5 | buildings of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Grand | ||||||
| 6 | Rapids, Michigan and St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church in | ||||||
| 7 | Palatine; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Arthur Nicholas was the beloved husband of Bess, | ||||||
| 9 | nee Zazanis; the loving father of Dr. Niki (Dr. Charles | ||||||
| 10 | Nicholson) Nicholas, Arthur (Montean LaPorte) Nicholas Jr., | ||||||
| 11 | and Thomas (Julia) Nicholas; the proud grandfather of Nathan, | ||||||
| 12 | Carly, Laura, and Trent; the dear brother of James (Georgia), | ||||||
| 13 | George (Katina), and Chrysis (Robert) Hultzen; and the fond | ||||||
| 14 | uncle of many; therefore, be it
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| 15 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL | ||||||
| 16 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with | ||||||
| 17 | his family and friends, the passing of Arthur Nicholas; and be | ||||||
| 18 | it further
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| 19 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 20 | presented to the family of Arthur Nicholas as a symbol of our | ||||||
| 21 | sincere sympathy.
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