HR1530 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1530 LRB095 22563 KXB 52954 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Leon Shlofrock of Skokie, who passed away on September 12, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Leon Shlofrock started what is now the Illinois Long Term Care Council in 1976, which today represents 200 Illinois health-care facilities that treat some 37,000 residents; the council's advocacy includes lobbying efforts on health-care and public aid policies pertinent to the industry; he served as the council's president until earlier in this decade; Mr. Shlofrock was friendly with governors starting with former Governor Dan Walker and served on numerous State boards and committees; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Shlofrock grew up in Brooklyn, the son of a Polish immigrant furrier; after graduating from Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, New York, he took classes at the University of Chicago and George Washington University; he was a talented baseball player, playing catcher with teams that included the Brooklyn Furriers; and

WHEREAS, He served with the United States Army during World War II and fought in France, where he was shot in the right arm and shipped to England to recuperate; he was later made an honorary colonel by former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar; and

WHEREAS, He became active in the labor movement in New York after the war and was an officer in the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of America; he came to Chicago in 1955 and held posts that included business manager with a local of the Chicago Fur Workers Union before retiring from labor work in 1968; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Shlofrock was a natural storyteller whose own life provided some of his best tales; he was a dedicated horse-player, owned a number of thoroughbreds, and was a regular at tracks throughout Chicagoland; in 2000, Governor George Ryan appointed him to the Illinois Racing Board and he stepped down from the board four years later; and

WHEREAS, Leon Shlofrock is survived by his wife Jean; his sons, John and Mike Langer; his daughter, Elisa Zusman; and his five grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Leon Shlofrock; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Leon Shlofrock as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.