WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to express their sincere condolences to the family and friends of Vernon R. Q. Fernandes, who recently passed away; and

 

WHEREAS, Vernon R. Q. Fernandes was born in Kansas City, Missouri on October 17, 1921 to Antonio and Mary Alice Cline Fernandes; on August 8, 1942 he married Edythe May Spencer in Kansas City, Missouri; and

 

WHEREAS, Vernon R. Q. Fernandes was a graduate of Northeast High School in kansas City; in 1940 he joined the United States Army and remained in military service for 28 years; he was a verteran of WWII, serving in the European, African and Middle East theaters of operation; he also served his country in the zKorean War and the Vitenam War; during this time of service he received the Legion of Merit Medal twice, 14 campaign medals and Battle Stars and 3 Commendation Medals; he was inducted into the United States Army Corps of Engineers' Officer Candidate School Hall ofFame at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with the original class, in 1970; he was one of two people to achieve the rank of colonel in the Corps of Engineers without having a college degree; and

 

WHEREAS, In 1968 Colonel Vernon R. Q. Fernandes retired from military service and moved to Jacksonville, Illinois; his first job in the city was executive vice-president of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce; in 1970 he joined the staff of Elliott State Bank, where he retired in 1987; and

 

WHEREAS, Vernon R. Q. Fernandes was very involved in the commjnity, from donating blood to plahing the role of Santa Claus at Christmas time; he served as the United Way chairman twice, served as chairman of the city Sesquicentennial and Bicentennial celebration, served as president of the Rotary Club and served as alderman for Jacksonville; he was a founding member of the Jacksonville Theatre Guild; he seerved as a member of the board of directors of the Friends of the Library and the heritage Cultural Center, where he also served as president; he also served as the business manager of the Jacksonville Symphony Society; and

 

WHEREAS, Vernon R. Q. Fernandes was on the board of the Jacksonville-MacMurray Music Association, the Jacksonville Human Relations Commission, the Morgan County Historical Society and was a trustee of the jacksonville Public Library; in 1976 he was named the first Jacksonville Citizen of the Year and a Distinguished Citizen of the State of Illinois; he recently received a Life Achievement Award from the Illinois State Historical Society; and in 1992 he was elected to the Jacksonville Area Hall of Fame; and

 

WHEREAS, Vernon R. Q. Fernandes was the author of "The People of Jacksonville-A Pictorial History", "Faces and Places-A Morgan County Family Album", "Great Scott and the People Who Made it Great", "Greene County Memories and the People Who Made It Great", "Greene County Memories and the People Who Made Them" and "Passavant Area Hospital-125 Years of Caring"; and

 

WHEREAS, The passing of Vernon R. Q. Fernandes will be felt by all who knew and loved him, especially his daughters, Mrs. Susan (husband, Robert) Neff and Judith Fernandes; and his two grandchildren; therefore, be it RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Vernon R. Q. Fernandes of jacksonville, Illinois and be it further

 

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Vernon R. Q. Fernandes.