HR0995 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0995 LRB104 22607 LAW 39054 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Alfonso "Al" Quiroz of Pullman on the occasion of his 90th birthday; and

WHEREAS, Al Quiroz, the son of Mexican immigrants Felix and Elena Rodriguez Quiroz, was born in a third-floor apartment at 11311 South Langley Avenue in the Pullman National Historical Park of Chicago on August 2, 1936; he was raised in the company town where generations of his extended family lived and worked; he attended Holy Rosary School, Pullman School, and Chicago Vocational High School; he married Marilyn Gartelmann, a fellow lifelong Pullman resident, in 1964, and they raised their family in the Pullman neighborhood; and

WHEREAS, Al Quiroz, at the age of 23 in 1959, was searching for work when a chance encounter at Pullman's Market Hall changed the course of his life; after attending a union meeting, he and his brother, Ray, were approached by a labor leader who asked if they wanted jobs at Pullman-Standard; soon afterward, he and his brother applied for work there, the beginning of their respective careers; and

WHEREAS, Despite entering the Pullman-Standard factory with no formal trade experience, Al Quiroz quickly mastered the skills needed to build railcars; his workday began before dawn as he reported to the factory before his 7:00 a.m. start time, joining hundreds of skilled craftsmen who built passenger railcars for customers across North America; he spent most of the day solving problems, sharing knowledge, and taking pride in producing quality work with his colleagues; and

WHEREAS, Al Quiroz began his career installing heater grilles and aluminum luggage racks before becoming a specialist in railroad car doors; he installed pocket doors, swinging doors, entrance doors, cabinet doors, and end doors, earning the nickname "End Door Al" from his fellow workers; his nickname became so well known that he painted it on his work shirt, and coworkers regularly sought his advice whenever a door needed adjustment or repair; and

WHEREAS, Al Quiroz worked in several departments over the course of his 22-year career at Pullman-Standard, including fabrication, where he operated punch presses and other machinery used to manufacture railcar parts; noted for his craftsmanship and attention to detail, he was frequently called to the shipping tracks to solve problems on completed railcars before delivery; he also witnessed industry safety standards evolve from requiring steel-toed shoes and safety glasses to the mandatory use of hard hats throughout the factory; further, he established a tradition of quietly placing pennies behind the doors of certain passenger railcars before they were completed to serve as good luck charms and to symbolize the pride, care, and personal connection that Pullman-Standard workers invested in every railcar they built; and

WHEREAS, Al Quiroz proudly served Pullman-Standard, and he believes preserving the stories of its workers is essential in order for future generations to understand the skill, dedication, and adaptability that was required to build the passenger railcars that connected North America; and

WHEREAS, Al Quiroz will celebrate his 90th birthday on August 2, 2026; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Alfonso "Al" Quiroz on celebrating his 90th birthday; and be it further

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