SR1642 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1642 LRB100 21709 ALS 39222 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Merle David Engle of Bloomington, who passed away on April 18, 2018; and

WHEREAS, David Engle was born in Bloomington to Merle M. and Helen (Anderson) Engle on March 22, 1943; he attended St. Mary's Elementary and graduated from Holy Trinity High School in 1961; he studied business at St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa; he served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1969 until 1971; he married Gala McConnell in Fort Myers, Florida on March 1, 2010; and

WHEREAS, David Engle began his career as an insurance adjuster for Pekin Farmers Insurance and later in Yakima, Washington; he also worked for the GM&O railroad; however, he found a passion in sales and was the top salesman and business manager at Barker Oldsmobile and Thornton Motors; his success and independent spirit inspired him to purchase his own dealership, Auto World; in 1982, he partnered to operate the former Casella's as Casey Jones Lounge; by 1986, he was the sole proprietor and renamed the restaurant the Winner's Bar & Grill, and it was the oldest bar in town to be continually owned by the same person; he also owned the Park View Inn in the 1990s; and

WHEREAS, David Engle was an avid golfer and earned many accolades, including a national-level championship at the Oldsmobile Scramble; he enjoyed spending the winter months in Florida with his wife, entertaining his family with magic tricks, and playing rummy and euchre with his friends and family; and

WHEREAS, David Engle was preceded in death by his parents; and

WHEREAS, David Engle was a loving husband to Gala; he was a dedicated brother to Jan Engle-Bandy and an uncle to her daughter, Julie Jenkins; he was a caring father to Ryan (Kristen) Engle, who are expecting their first child, and Brad Engle; he was a doting grandfather to Abigail and Adam Engle, the children of Ryan Engle and Vanessa Elder, and to Joey and Matthew Ploense and Faith Foster-Engle, the children of Brad Engle; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Merle David Engle 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 David Engle as an expression of our deepest sympathy.