HR0819 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0819 LRB100 15951 ALS 33034 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate John "Sam" Vancil on his retirement from the DuQuoin Community Unit School District #300 Board of Education; and

WHEREAS, Sam Vancil is the longest, continuous School Board member in the State of Illinois, and served the DuQuoin community for 58 years; he organized the Sunfield Grade School District Board in 1958, which consolidated into the Duquoin District #300 School Board in 1968; he served in many positions, including President, Vice President, and Secretary; he retired on June 1, 2017; and

WHEREAS, Sam Vancil was born on a homestead in Sunfield to Miles and Annabelle Vancil on June 21, 1931; one of three boys, he attended Sunfield Grade School and graduated from DuQuoin High School; he served as a radar technician in the United States Army during the Korean War and was stationed in Texas and Washington; and

WHEREAS, Sam Vancil married Dorothy Elaine Timpner on August 9, 1952, and they recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary; they have five children, Deborah, David, Dennis, Darryl, and Denise, nine grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, After his military service, Sam Vancil took over a farming operation from his uncles; he worked as a shovel operator at Burning Star #2 for 37 years; he then accepted a position with the Illinois Department of Mines and Minerals, where he served as Assistant Director until his retirement 12 years later; and

WHEREAS, Sam Vancil played an instrumental role in the construction of the District's new K-8 School complex in 1999 and the new DuQuoin High School, which was completed in 2012; and

WHEREAS, Sam Vancil is an active member of the Sunfield United Methodist Church, where he is a member of the choir, a Chairperson on the Church Council, and a Sunday School teacher; he helped complete the capital project, which raised money to build a new church, fellowship hall, and parsonage; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate John "Sam" Vancil on his retirement from the DuQuoin Community Unit School District #300 Board of Education and we recognize his strong commitment to the Sunfield and DuQuoin communities, his decades of hard work, and his dedication to the to the future generations of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Sam Vancil as an expression of our esteem and respect.