Bill Text: IL SR0088 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the passing of Anthony J. "Tony" Leone Jr.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-03-10 - Resolution Adopted [SR0088 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-SR0088-Introduced.html
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
| ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | ||||||
3 | to learn of the death of Anthony J. "Tony" Leone Jr. of | ||||||
4 | Springfield, who passed away on February 3, 2021; and
| ||||||
5 | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. was born in Springfield to Anthony | ||||||
6 | J. Leone Sr. and Evelyn Mussato Leone on September 1, 1950; he | ||||||
7 | graduated from Griffin High School; he earned his associate | ||||||
8 | degree from Springfield College and his bachelor's degree in | ||||||
9 | Economics from the University of Illinois at Springfield; and
| ||||||
10 | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. capped a long career in public | ||||||
11 | service as the chief clerk of the Illinois House of | ||||||
12 | Representatives between 1981 and 1983; he previously served as | ||||||
13 | the assistant clerk of the House between 1979 and 1980, a | ||||||
14 | position he held again between 1983 and 1992; he also held | ||||||
15 | various positions at the Illinois State Board of Elections and | ||||||
16 | the Springfield Election Commission; his first job was as the | ||||||
17 | chief clerk of the Sangamon County Election Office; and
| ||||||
18 | WHEREAS, Following his service to the Illinois House, Tony | ||||||
19 | Leone Jr. served as director of the office's Index Department | ||||||
20 | under then-Secretary of State George H. Ryan Sr.; he led a | ||||||
21 | successful effort to reform and re-write the operational rules | ||||||
22 | of the Illinois Lobbyist Registration Act; he served as |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | chairman of the State Property Tax Appeal Board between 1990 | ||||||
2 | and 1992, the Sangamon County Board of Review between 1985 and | ||||||
3 | 1990, and the City of Springfield Rules and Regulations Review | ||||||
4 | Commission between 1995 and 1999; he also served as | ||||||
5 | vice-chairman of the 1992 Springfield Election Commission | ||||||
6 | Advisory Task Force on the Springfield Metropolitan & | ||||||
7 | Exposition Auditorium Authority, the Illinois Secretary of | ||||||
8 | State Ethics Commission, the Illinois State Museum Board, and | ||||||
9 | the Advisory Board of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential | ||||||
10 | Library; he served on the State commission that helped select | ||||||
11 | the Illinois commemorative quarter design in 2003; and
| ||||||
12 | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. was a nationally recognized | ||||||
13 | innovator in the use of electronic recordkeeping and reporting | ||||||
14 | for political campaign financial records and submissions; he | ||||||
15 | opened Illinois Campaign Reporting Systems in 1985 and served | ||||||
16 | as its president until 1999; he was also the principal of the | ||||||
17 | Springfield-based lobbying firm Leone & Associates for many | ||||||
18 | years; and
| ||||||
19 | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. was a well-respected figure in | ||||||
20 | Illinois Republican politics for 15 years; he was the | ||||||
21 | executive director of the Sangamon County Republican | ||||||
22 | Foundation; he served as the assistant treasurer of the | ||||||
23 | Illinois Republican State Party for eight years; he was also | ||||||
24 | the publisher of party newspaper The Republican for 15 years; |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | and
| ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. lovingly restored the 125 year old | ||||||
3 | Pasfield House, located just west of the State Capitol | ||||||
4 | complex, which he opened as a bed and breakfast and a unique | ||||||
5 | event facility in 2002; over the years, he hosted a continuous | ||||||
6 | stream of dinners, receptions, fundraisers, and events for | ||||||
7 | numerous charitable causes, community award presentations, | ||||||
8 | book signings, and political campaigns; and
| ||||||
9 | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. was considered an expert on | ||||||
10 | Springfield's early history and a strong proponent of the | ||||||
11 | preservation of the city's historic sites; he served on the | ||||||
12 | Illinois State Capitol Historic Preservation Advisory Board; | ||||||
13 | he produced a photographic calendar that captured the beauty | ||||||
14 | of the Illinois State Capitol's architecture in 2010; he was | ||||||
15 | recognized by the General Assembly for his efforts to bring | ||||||
16 | revitalization to the neighborhood directly west of the | ||||||
17 | Illinois State Capitol complex in 2004; he also co-authored | ||||||
18 | the book Springfield Celebrated Horseshoe Sandwich; and
| ||||||
19 | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. was known for being jovial, full | ||||||
20 | of life, gracious, and thoughtful; he enjoyed dining with | ||||||
21 | friends, leading the table in old stories, self-deprecating | ||||||
22 | humor, and laughing; when traveling outside of Springfield, he | ||||||
23 | enjoyed visiting New Orleans, Louisiana and Charleston, South |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | Carolina; he was admired and loved by many; and
| ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. was preceded in death by his | ||||||
3 | parents; and
| ||||||
4 | WHEREAS, Tony Leone Jr. is survived by his significant | ||||||
5 | other, Catherine L. "Cathy" Cragoe; therefore, be it
| ||||||
6 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL | ||||||
7 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
8 | Anthony J. "Tony" Leone Jr. and extend our sincere condolences | ||||||
9 | to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be | ||||||
10 | it further
| ||||||
11 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
12 | presented to the family of Tony Leone Jr. as an expression of | ||||||
13 | our deepest sympathy.
|