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1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3 to learn of the death of John Peter Croke Sr. of Springfield,
4 who passed away on January 12, 2024; and
5 WHEREAS, John Croke was born to John and Marcella Croke in
6 Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 5, 1946; he was profoundly Deaf
7 since birth; he was raised in Shorewood, Wisconsin, where he
8 excelled in sports, became an Eagle Scout, and received the
9 American Legion Award during his senior year at Shorewood High
10 School; he attended the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
11 for two years before transferring to the Rochester Institute
12 of Technology in New York, becoming was one of the school's
13 first Deaf students and earning a Bachelor of Science in
14 Mechanical Engineering Technology in 1972; he married Jo Ann
15 Maria Savage in 1973, and they raised two hearing sons in
16 Wheeling, Illinois; and
17 WHEREAS, John Croke worked briefly at Bell & Howell,
18 Western Electric, and elsewhere before being hired by Illinois
19 Bell, known today as AT&T, in 1990, where he completed
20 planning, drafting, and engineering duties until his
21 retirement in 2012; and
22 WHEREAS, John Croke was civically engaged, circulating
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1 petitions door-to-door and contributing to social and
2 political causes and candidates he believed in; and
3 WHEREAS, John Croke enjoyed traveling, especially his
4 visit to Italy during a Deaf Catholic tour in 2014, where he
5 saw Pope Francis, and a trip to Hawaii with his son's family in
6 2016; he also enjoyed participating in softball and bowling
7 leagues with his Deaf friends; he was an avid fan of the
8 Milwaukee Braves, now known as the Milwaukee Brewers, and also
9 cheered for the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Cubs, the
10 Chicago White Sox, the Chicago Bears, and the Chicago Bulls;
11 and
12 WHEREAS, John Croke was a devoted and loyal husband,
13 father, grandfather, and friend; he enthusiastically supported
14 his sons' academic, extracurricular, professional, and
15 personal interests; he adored his four grandchildren, teaching
16 them American Sign Language and attending their athletic,
17 artistic, and school events as often as possible; and
18 WHEREAS, John Croke was preceded in death by his wife; and
19 WHEREAS, John Croke is survived by his sister, Marcella
20 (Stu) Mathias; his sons, Peter (Ellen) Croke and Ryan (Brook)
21 Croke; his grandchildren, Jonas, Henry, Annie, and Oliver; and
22 many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends; therefore, be it
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1 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
2 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
3 John Peter Croke Sr. and extend our deepest sincere
4 condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
5 him; and be it further
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