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| | SR0393 | | LRB104 14816 LAW 27959 r |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened |
| 3 | | to learn of the death of Benjamin P. "Ben" Schatz of Des |
| 4 | | Plaines, who passed away on August 1, 2025; and
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| 5 | | WHEREAS, Ben Schatz was born to Joseph and Katherina |
| 6 | | (Thomas) Schatz in Eagle Butte, South Dakota on March 31, |
| 7 | | 1931; before high school, he and his family moved from their |
| 8 | | farmstead to Rapid City, South Dakota, where he was excited by |
| 9 | | the opportunities available in the city; he studied civil |
| 10 | | engineering at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology |
| 11 | | (SDSM&T); he served in the United States Navy during the |
| 12 | | Korean Conflict for four years, where he learned sonar and |
| 13 | | radar technologies; he then returned to SDSM&T to complete his |
| 14 | | degree; and
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| 15 | | WHEREAS, Ben Schatz married Alice Mae Palmer before |
| 16 | | graduating from SDSM&T, and they moved to Jackson, Michigan |
| 17 | | for his first career opportunity; his profession led to a move |
| 18 | | for their family to Illinois, where they resided in Blue |
| 19 | | Island and Wood Dale before they finally settled in Des |
| 20 | | Plaines; and
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| 21 | | WHEREAS, Ben Schatz was the founder and longtime owner of |
| 22 | | ChemGrout, Inc. in LaGrange Park; he remained dedicated to his |
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| | SR0393 | - 2 - | LRB104 14816 LAW 27959 r |
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| 1 | | work and business, retiring at the age of 91, and his legacy |
| 2 | | lives on through the equipment he designed over 50 years ago |
| 3 | | still being in use around the world today; and
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| 4 | | WHEREAS, Ben Schatz will be remembered as an engineer, a |
| 5 | | business owner, an avid vegetable gardener, a devoted husband, |
| 6 | | a proud father of five, and a helpful neighbor; and
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| 7 | | WHEREAS, Ben Schatz was preceded in death by his parents |
| 8 | | and his siblings, Andrew, Michael, Anton "Tony", Margaret |
| 9 | | "Sister Gemma", Barbara, Frances, Mary, and Odilia "Tillie"; |
| 10 | | and
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| 11 | | WHEREAS, Ben Schatz is survived by his wife of 68 years, |
| 12 | | Alice Mae (Palmer) Schatz; his children, Carol (David |
| 13 | | Rodgers), Joseph (Jeanne Duff), Julie (Peter Sussenguth), |
| 14 | | Thomas (Janet Fisher), and Leanne (Bruce Trela); ten |
| 15 | | grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren; therefore, be it
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| 16 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL |
| 17 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of |
| 18 | | Benjamin P. "Ben" Schatz and extend our sincere condolences to |
| 19 | | his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it |
| 20 | | further
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| 21 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |