MEMORIAL RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF NOVEMBER 17, 2011
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MEMORIAL RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners extending sympathy and condolences to the family of Emmanuel Whitley Simmons
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WHEREAS, Budd “Emmanuel” Whitley Simmons was born on April 24, 1910 to William Louis Simmons and Annie Whitley, the youngest of their 18 children in Marion, Arkansas; and
WHERAS, Emmanuel’s Christian name reflects his mother’s deeply religious nature, also mirrored in the family’s devotion to Bible study; and
WHEREAS, in 1935,Emmanuel bought a train ticket for ten dollars to ride the former Illinois Central to Chicago, Illinois where he attended DuSable High School and joined the Christian Liberty Baptist Church; and
WHEREAS, he later returned to White Haven, Tennessee, graduating from Geeter High School and becoming Treasurer of the Future Farmers of Tennessee; and
WHEREAS, on April 16, 1939, Emmanuel married the lovely Flora Mae Murphy in Louisville Kentucky and together they moved to Chicago, making their home at 4410 South Vincennes, the heart of the 3rd Ward; and
WHEREAS, Flora, before preceding him in death, blessed this marital union with five children, Arvy (Harry), Abdullah (Andre) (Nancy), Brenda (Alfred), William (deceased) and Ella; as well as ten grandchildren and twenty-eight great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Emmanuel was a member of Christian Liberty Baptist Church until 1957 when he became a member of the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church congregation under the pastorship of the late Reverend Lorenzo Smith; and
WHEREAS, Emmanuel’s dedication to his church is evidenced by his service as a Trustee and the dedication of a hall in the honor of both Emmanuel and his wife; and
WHEREAS, Emmanuel’s life of service included tirelessly working as a Nursing Assistant, working exclusively with active military and veterans at Hines and Westside Veterans’’ Hospital, Chicago, Illinois until his well-deserved retirement in 1976; and
WHEREAS, not one to rest on his laurels, Emmanuel went on to become a custodian at his alma mater, DuSable High School until his 1979 retirement; and
WHEREAS, since 1945, Emmanuel was a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, State of Illinois, Prince Hall Affiliation, Mount Hebron Lodge No. 29, serving as Worshipful Master for two years, from 1968 to 1969 and as the Secretary for a decade; and
WHEREAS, he was also a distinguished member of the 3rd Ward Democratic Organization under the representation of former Alderman Dorothy Tillman; and
WHEREAS, he was a participant in the National Reparations Convention film Paradox of Freedom, as viewed worldwide in 2005 on the television program 60 Minutes; and
WHEREAS, Emmanuel long entertained his large family with tales, jokes, poetry and even reciting the alphabet backwards; and
WHEREAS, he credited God, his father William, his sister May Bell and his friend George Washington Carver, who once gave him a pair of pants, shirt socks and shoes, as the greatest influences in his very successful life; and
WHEREAS, until his death, he lived by his motto, “For when your failures outnumber your successes, you are a failure. Whatever you do, put your all in it as I did; and you will be a success."; and
WHEREAS, countless people mourn the passing of this energetic and involved man who lived a full life, committed to his faith and his family; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, on behalf of ourselves and staff, extend our sympathy and condolences to the family of Emmanuel Whitley Simmons; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be spread upon the permanent Record of Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and that a copy of same, suitably engrossed, be presented to the family of Emmanuel Whitley Simmons.
Dated: November 17, 2011
Approved: TERRENCE J. O’BRIEN, President; BARBARA J. MCGOWAN, Vice-President; CYNTHIA M. SANTOS, Chairman, Committee on Finance; MICHAEL A. ALVAREZ; FRANK AVILA; PATRICIA HORTON; KATHLEEN THERESE MEANY; DEBRA SHORE; Mariyana T. Spyropoulos; Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Approved as to Form and Legality: Ronald M. Hill, General Counsel