SR0542 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0542 LRB100 12866 MAS 26622 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of James William "Jim" Powell of White Hall, who passed away on May 9, 2017; and

WHEREAS, James Powell was born to Fred and Lorraine (Bunting) Powell on May 9, 1942; he was raised in rural Hillview and graduated from White Hall High School in 1960; he graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1964; he married his high school sweetheart, Janet Louise Collins, on August 29, 1964 at the White Hall First Presbyterian Church; he was drafted into the United States Armed Services in 1965 and chose to be a naval aviator; he flew the A-4 Skyhawk, collecting over 100 arrested aircraft carrier landings, and was discharged with the rank of lieutenant; and

WHEREAS, James Powell was hired as the manager of Hartwell Ranch, Inc. in 1974 and farmed the Illinois River bottoms south of Hillview until his retirement in 2012; and

WHEREAS, James Powell was an active member of the Greene County community and served on the North Greene School Board and the White Hall Hospital Board; he served as the commissioner of the Hartwell Drainage District and as a Republican precinct committeeman for Hillview; he was also commander of the Bryant-Thomas American Legion Post 1210 in Hillview and a member of VFW Post 7684 in White Hall; and

WHEREAS, James Powell was a fan of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini and attended many football and basketball games over the years; he loved attending his children's and grandchildren's sporting events; he enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and observing wildlife in the beautiful rural areas near his hometown of Hillview; and

WHEREAS, James Powell was preceded in death by his parents; and

WHEREAS, James Powell is survived by his wife of 52 years, Janet; his daughters, Lynn Marie (Steve) Hart and Sarah Beth (Doug) Schmidt; his sons, James Wesley "Jimmy" and John (Angie) William; his grandchildren, Collin James and Katharine Anne "Katie", Molly Elizabeth and Adelaide Mae "Addie", Lucy Lynn, Noah Brennan, August James "Gus", Vincent Frederick, and Julia Marie; his sisters, Sue Ellen (Dwayne) Scott and Jo Ann (Nick) Carmean; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of James William "Jim" Powell, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of James Powell as an expression of our deepest sympathy.