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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 William J. O'Connell Jr. of Peoria, who | ||||||
| 4 | passed away on September 23, 2012; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, William O'Connell Jr. was born on July 23, 1929, | ||||||
| 6 | in Kewanee; he was the son of William J. O'Connell Sr. and | ||||||
| 7 | Josephine (Robinson) O'Connell; he married Helen Rose Engel on | ||||||
| 8 | January 26, 1957, in New Blaine, Arkansas; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, William O'Connell Jr. earned his bachelor's and | ||||||
| 10 | master's degrees from Bradley University; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, William O'Connell Jr. was a lifelong employee of | ||||||
| 12 | the Journal Star, where he retired in 1996 as the newspaper's | ||||||
| 13 | political reporter, covering the Illinois Legislature; he was | ||||||
| 14 | the author of the newspaper's "Off the Political Grapevine" | ||||||
| 15 | column; and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, William O'Connell Jr. was named Illinois | ||||||
| 17 | Journalist of the Year by Northern Illinois University in 1986; | ||||||
| 18 | he was the recipient of a national award from the American | ||||||
| 19 | Political Science Association and was honored by the Associated | ||||||
| 20 | Press, the Illinois Education Association, and the Illinois | ||||||
| 21 | Valley Press Club; he also served as president of the Illinois | ||||||
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| 1 | Legislative Correspondents Association; and
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| 2 | WHEREAS, William O'Connell Jr. formed the St. Patrick's | ||||||
| 3 | Society of Peoria with 4 of his friends in 1980; he was a | ||||||
| 4 | lifetime member of the organization and remained active as an | ||||||
| 5 | ex-officio board member; he served as grand marshal of the | ||||||
| 6 | Peoria St. Patrick's Day Parade in 1996; he was also a founder | ||||||
| 7 | of the local chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, where | ||||||
| 8 | he was a member for 23 years and served as president from 1999 | ||||||
| 9 | to 2000; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, William O'Connell Jr. was designated as Hibernian | ||||||
| 11 | of the Year in 1998 and was given the AOH Appreciation Award in | ||||||
| 12 | 1997 for his work with the Ancient Order of Hibernians; and | ||||||
| 13 | WHEREAS, William O'Connell Jr. was a dedicated parishioner | ||||||
| 14 | of St. Bernard's Parish in Peoria, where he served many years | ||||||
| 15 | as an usher at Sunday services; and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, William O'Connell Jr. was preceded in his death by | ||||||
| 17 | his parents and his son, William Francis O'Connell; and | ||||||
| 18 | WHEREAS, William O'Connell Jr. is survived by his wife, | ||||||
| 19 | Helen; his children, Kelly (Dan) Kennelly, Thomas (Linda) | ||||||
| 20 | O'Connell, Timothy (Anita) O'Connell, Molly (George) Phoenix, | ||||||
| 21 | and David (Kristi) O'Connell; his 12 grandchildren; and his 3 | ||||||
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| 1 | great-grandchildren; therefore, be it
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| 2 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL | ||||||
| 3 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with | ||||||
| 4 | his family and friends, the passing of William J. O'Connell | ||||||
| 5 | Jr.; and be it further
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| 6 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 7 | presented to the family of William O'Connell Jr. as an | ||||||
| 8 | expression of our sympathy.
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