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92_SR0494
LRB9217635RHrh
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to
3 express their sincerest condolences to the family and friends
4 of the Reverend Alvin F. Harris, Jr., who passed away on July
5 29, 2002; and
6 WHEREAS, The Reverend Alvin F. Harris, Jr.,
7 affectionately known as "Butch", was born to the union of
8 Alvin and Dorothy Harris on February 24, 1946 in Chicago; and
9 WHEREAS, Rev. Harris attended John D. Shoop Elementary
10 School where he graduated and went on to attend Morgan Park
11 High School in Chicago; and
12 WHEREAS, As a small child growing up in Morgan Park, Rev.
13 Harris loved and honored his grandfather, who was a Deacon
14 and one of the founders of Mt. Joy Missionary Baptist Church
15 in Chicago, where he accepted Christ and was baptized at an
16 early age and where he faithfully attended Sunday School and
17 sang in the choir; and
18 WHEREAS, Rev. Harris' grooming came from his grandfather
19 who led him to become a young man with strong morals and
20 values; at the age of twelve, he was a helper on the truck
21 for Flashback Cleaners; as a teen he was mentored by Hank
22 Black and was taught all the facets of the carpeting
23 business; later he began to work for Conrail Railroad
24 Company, where he remained for 20 years; he was a Shop
25 Steward for two years for the Transport Workers Union, Local
26 2014 and later became its Vice President; and
27 WHEREAS, As an entrepreneur at the age of 22, Rev. Harris
28 and his brother-in-law opened their own carpet business, H&B
29 Carpet, which is still successful to this day; in addition,
30 he purchased property with a vision in mind, which originally
31 was A&L Seafood Restaurant and later was sectioned off to
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1 become a men's shelter and a new and used furniture store
2 called Real Deal; he also founded the Christ Total
3 Deliverance Church and subsequently worked at the Office of
4 the Cook County State's Attorney; and
5 WHEREAS, Rev. Harris met and married his first love,
6 Lorraine Turner, in 1964; during this union, five children
7 were born, Linda, Frank, Alvin, Jeannine, and Ronnie; and
8 WHEREAS, In July 1975, Rev. Harris met Lorraine Day; they
9 were married in July 1985 and are the parents of Tanille,
10 Allen, Aaron, Adam, and Tiarra; and
11 WHEREAS, In 1986, Rev. Harris was appointed as Deacon at
12 Mt. Joy Missionary Baptist Church; in 1987, he became a part
13 of the St. John Missionary Baptist Church family, where
14 Pastor A. Edward Davis, Jr. appointed him to the Deacon
15 Board, where he served faithfully for five years; and
16 WHEREAS, In 1992, Rev. Harris accepted his calling to the
17 "Gospel Ministry" and served humbly as an Associate Minister;
18 on December 8, 1992, he preached his first message entitled
19 "Returning Home"; two months later, he was offered the
20 Assistant Pasturage at the Straightway Missionary Baptist
21 Church; and
22 WHEREAS, In 1997, Rev. Harris was ordained by Pastor A.
23 Edward Davis, Jr. to his own church, Christ Total
24 Deliverance; he later established "The Potter's House" for
25 men who had been forgotten; in 2000, Rev. Harris decided to
26 go back to St. John Missionary Baptist Church after the
27 destruction of Christ Total Deliverance; and
28 WHEREAS, Rev. Harris was a part of various community
29 organizations; he served as the President of the South End
30 Business and Planning Association, founded by late State
31 Representative, Nelson Rice; he served as President of the
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1 34th Ward Minister's Alliance, as member of the PTA of Morgan
2 Park High School, as member of the Morgan Park Roots
3 Committee, as owner of H&B Carpet, as founder of the Prophecy
4 Hour Radio Broadcast Ministry on WSSD-FM Radio, as member of
5 the Minister's Conference, and as Liaison for the Chicago
6 Park District Minister's Conference and the Chicago Area
7 Gospel Announcers Guild of the GMWA, Inc.; and
8 WHEREAS, The passing of the Reverend Alvin F. Harris, Jr.
9 will be deeply felt by all who knew and loved him, especially
10 his wife, Lorraine Day Harris; his mother, Dorothy Harris;
11 his children, Linda, Frank, Alvin (wife, Rose), Ronnie,
12 Jeannine, Tanille (husband, Demond) Walker, Allen, Aaron,
13 Adam, and Tiarra; his 13 grandchildren; his brother, Ronald
14 Harris; his sisters, Darlene Bailey, Burma (husband, Charles)
15 Thomas; Janet (husband, Joseph) Goodwin, Janice (husband,
16 Clarence) Banks, and Chiquita (husband, Theopholis) Wright;
17 his mother-in-law, Lucy Penson; his father-in-law, Angelo
18 (wife, Naomi) Day; his brothers-in-law, Kenneth Day, Wilburt
19 Day, and Micheal White; his sisters-in-law, Sharon (husband,
20 Thyran) Gumm, Deborah McNeal, Denise Williams, and Dionne
21 Day; his special friend, Sherman "Butch" Yancy; and a host of
22 cousins, nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends; therefore,
23 be it
24 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL
25 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
26 all who knew him, the passing of the Reverend Alvin F.
27 Harris, Jr. of Chicago; and be it further
28 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
29 presented to the family of the Reverend Alvin F. Harris, Jr.
30 with our sincere condolences.