HR0782

LRB094 16191 HSS 51434 r






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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the 
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State of Illinois learned with sadness of the death of Coleman 
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Miller on Saturday, December 17, 2005; and

 
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    WHEREAS, He was born on March 2, 1933, to Dr.
William 
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Edward and Marie Coleman Miller in Nashville, Tennessee; he 
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spent his
childhood primarily in Jackson, Mississippi, with his 
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older siblings William Edward and
Lucille Marie; as a young 
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adult he attended Tougaloo College and later
transferred to 
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Fisk University on a basketball scholarship and earned his

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Bachelors of Arts degree in sociology; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Upon receiving an honorable discharge as a Master

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Sergeant, he enrolled in George Williams College in Chicago, 
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where
he earned a master's degree in social work 
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administration; and

 
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    WHEREAS, He took great pride in his accomplishments as a

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socially conscious community leader; in addition to his time in 
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the Chicago area, his long career in social work took him to 
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Cleveland, Ohio, to Brooklyn, New York, back to Cleveland, 
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Ohio, and  later to Jackson, Mississippi; and

 
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    WHEREAS,  In 1969, Mr. Miller moved to Evanston, Illinois, 
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and
became the Executive Director of Beacon Neighborhood House 
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in Chicago; as
Executive Director, he started with a budget of 
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$200,000 per year, which
eventually grew under his leadership 
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to over $2,000,000; during his
tenure he initiated food, work, 
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and educational programs to help people in
the surrounding 
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communities in the city of Chicago; one of his major

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accomplishments was the formation of a credit union; and
 
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    WHEREAS,  He served as
President of the Evanston, Illinois, 
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branch of the N.A.A.C.P. for many years and was appointed to 
 


 






HR0782
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LRB094 16191 HSS 51434 r




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public office by the Mayor of Evanston, where
he served as the 
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city's township supervisor; and

 
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    WHEREAS, In 1984, Mr. Miller returned to Jackson, 
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Mississippi,
where he founded a mortgage brokerage company 
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called Family Mortgage
Company, Inc.;  he named it Family 
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Mortgage because of his desire to build a
strong family 
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business to pass down to future generations; as a prominent
and 
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successful broker, he served as president of the Mortgage 
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Brokerage
Association of Mississippi; and

 
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    WHEREAS, He was a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi
Fraternity 
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and a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church; he wanted to be 
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remembered as a hard worker
who believed in equality and civil 
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rights; he thought of himself as a
dreamer and a fighter; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The passing of Coleman Miller has been deeply felt 
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by many, especially his children, Paul
(Vickie), Mark 
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(Jennifer), David (Donna), and Patrice (Tim); his 
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grandchildren, Callie, Lena, Nicole, Sky, Nora, Daniel, and

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Donovan; his former wife of 26 years, Martha Miller; and his 
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many nieces, nephews,
cousins, and friends; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
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we mourn the passing of Coleman Miller, and we extend our 
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deepest sympathy to his family, friends, and all who knew and 
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loved him; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to his  family as an expression of our sincerest 
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condolences.