SR1011 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1011 LRB100 15160 ALS 30019 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Albert L. Dussliere of East Moline, who passed away on October 13, 2017; and

WHEREAS, Al Dussliere was born in Moline to Alois and Martha Callewaert Dussliere on July 21, 1924; he married Lorene Seitz, his high school sweetheart, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in East Moline on September 18, 1946; and

WHEREAS, Al Dussliere was a staff sergeant in the United States Army Air Corp during World War II; he flew in the waist and tail gunner positions in a B-17 flying fortress and accumulated 35 missions over enemy territories; on his 13th mission, his plane was involved in a midair collision over Bonn, Germany, which forced a belly landing in Luxembourg; on the 14th mission, his plane was hit by sustained flak for over 14 minutes, knocking out engines two and four, which caused an emergency landing in Ghent, Belgium; and

WHEREAS, Al Dussliere worked in his father's grocery store after he returned from the war; during that time, he was elected as an East Moline Council Member; he served four years and was elected mayor; he was then appointed Postmaster of East Moline and eventually promoted to Director of Customer Services at Rock Island Post Office, where he oversaw 102 offices in Iowa and Illinois; he retired from the Post Office in 1984; and

WHEREAS, Al Dussliere was the former commander of the East Moline Silvis American Veterans, the president of the East Moline Silvis Kiwanis Club, a member of the Illini Hospital Board, a founding member of the Blackhawk Chapter of the Epilepsy Foundation, the president of the 303rd Bomb Group Association, a Eucharistic Minister at St. Anne Parish, the Short Hills Country Club Man of the Year, and a member of the Chamber of Commerce; and

WHEREAS, Al Dussliere was preceded in death by his grandson, John Smithson; and his brothers, Alois Jr. and Donald; and

WHEREAS, Al Dussliere is survived by his wife, Lorene; his children, Theresa (Dr. Daniel) Voltz, Philip (Helen) Dussliere, and Steve (Kayla) Dussliere; his grandchildren, Andrew and Conrad Voltz, Heidi (Mitch) Forney, Talisa Dussliere (Josh) Corcoran, and Justin Oden; his great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Forney; and his brother, Lorney (Hattie) Dussliere; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Albert L. Dussliere and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Al Dussliere as an expression of our deepest sympathy.