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1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3 to learn of the death of Spencer Adrian Tyson of Oak Park, who
4 passed away on April 11, 2023 at the age of 82; and
5 WHEREAS, Spencer Tyson was born to Mary Frances (Hinton)
6 and Claude Lemon Tyson in Alton on December 31, 1940; he was
7 raised in the Dogtown neighborhood of Alton, and he spent
8 summers visiting family in Forrest City, Arkansas; he began
9 his freshman year at Alton Senior High School, but he
10 graduated in San Diego, California while simultaneously
11 serving in the U.S. Marine Corps; during his military service,
12 he traveled to Okinawa, Japan, where he established
13 friendships crossing cultural and racial lines; and
14 WHEREAS, After being honorably discharged, Spencer Tyson
15 enrolled as a student at Southern Illinois University at
16 Edwardsville; he worked two jobs prior to his commencement in
17 1969; he married classmate Lois Lee Granger; and
18 WHEREAS, Spencer Tyson was a salesperson at Equitable Life
19 Insurance Company when he and his wife welcomed two daughters,
20 Kimberly Idean and Nicole Adrian; shortly after Nicole's birth
21 in 1973, he and the family relocated to Atlanta, Georgia so he
22 could accept a promotion with Equitable as one of the first
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1 African-American men to attain the title of department vice
2 president; and
3 WHEREAS, Spencer Tyson moved his family back to Alton for
4 access to behavioral therapy when his daughter Nicole was
5 diagnosed with autism at the age of two; and
6 WHEREAS, Spencer Tyson continued to travel for work
7 assignments and ultimately made Oak Park the family's
8 permanent home; he was motivated to obtain a graduate degree
9 in business due to job security concerns, which allowed him to
10 become a pensions analyst; and
11 WHEREAS, Spencer Tyson and his wife helped expand the
12 local social service network by creating a vocational program
13 for an autism-focused group called Parents Allied with
14 Children and Teachers for Tomorrow (PACTT), with their
15 daughter Nicole becoming the first vocational program
16 enrollee; and
17 WHEREAS, Spencer Tyson faced severe injuries in 2002, but
18 his recovery process was accompanied by a gregarious
19 personality change, including a blossoming of his sense of
20 humor and newfound enjoyment in family gatherings; and
21 WHEREAS, Spencer Tyson experienced a surprise cancer
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1 diagnosis in 2013, and his will to survive this diagnosis was
2 reinforced by his promise to walk his daughter Kimberly down
3 the aisle at her wedding; and
4 WHEREAS, Spencer Tyson struggled with his faith throughout
5 his life, especially during times of trial and tribulation,
6 which included several major health challenges; eventually, he
7 adopted a more conciliatory stance towards religion and church
8 participation; through it all, his wife and two daughters were
9 constant sources of fulfillment, inspiration, and pride; and
10 WHEREAS, Spencer Tyson was a music connoisseur,
11 specifically jazz and classical; he also read voraciously and
12 stayed attuned to politics; and
13 WHEREAS, At the time of his passing, Spencer Tyson was
14 survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Lois; his daughters,
15 Kimberly and Nicole; his son-in-law, Nathan Goldbaum; and a
16 host of family and friends; therefore, be it
17 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
18 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
19 Spencer Adrian Tyson and extend our sincere condolences to his
20 family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
21 further
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