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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF REVEREND DAVID BIGSBY
WHEREAS, David Bigsby was born in Marietta, Georgia, in 1945, and his father was a preacher and a “giver,”; and
WHEREAS, from 1963 to 1967, Mr. Bigsby attended Morehouse College before entering the U.S. Army, where he was a paratrooper serving in Vietnam during the Vietnam War and was awarded a Bronze Star and honorably discharged in 1969 at the rank of staff sergeant; and
WHEREAS, Pastor Bigsby earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northwest Missouri State University in 1975, and after college after college he worked in the insurance field, earning a CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter) designation from American College in 1979; and
WHEREAS, eventually he accepted his calling to preach, something he was born to do, and in 1985, Reverend Bigsby preached his first professional sermon during service on Thanksgiving morning at Calvary Baptist Church in Glenwood, IL and about a decade later, in 1994, he became pastor of the church; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Bigsby would go on to found and lead In the Upper Room Ministries (ITURM) missionary Baptist Church in Lansing, IL; and
WHEREAS, in Lansing, the Reverend may be best known for his involvement in helping to develop a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Village of Lansing, Lansing Police Department, Lansing Community Coalition, and the NAACP Chicago Far South Suburban Branch when the Village and police leadership were at odds with community members over an incident in which an off-duty white police officer physically pinned a 15-year-old Black teen to the ground for trespassing on his lawn; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Bigsby fought for social justice in many ways, travelling to the state and national capitols to lobby for legislation and funding that could engender equity in schools and the local community, and he fought against racial profiling and systemic racism; and
WHEREAS, for many years until 2009, Reverend Bigsby served as the president of South Suburban Action Conference, actively pursuing and involved in social, civic, and educational parity in the south suburbs, pushing for issues such as the proposed airport in Peotone; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Bigsby served at some time as president or vice president of the following organizations: South Suburban Action Council, African American Leadership Commission, a national organization dedicated to development of clergy in social justice advocacy, Gamaliel National Clergy Caucus and several other branches of the Gamaliel organization, PEACE “People Engaged in Advancing Community Enrichment” in the South Suburbs, Lansing Ministers Alliance, and the Lansing Community Coalition; and
WHEREAS, for all of his work, in 2023 Reverend Bigsby received the President’s Award from the NAACP Chicago Far South Suburban Branch; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Bigsby enjoyed spending time with his family over the holidays, loved soul food, and was passionate about his Cadillacs, keeping his Eldorado or DeVille in pristine condition; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Bigsby was a good man, a loved man and faithful in his ministry and his church and humble man of God; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Bigsby transitioned into eternity on April 22, 2025. He was married for 53 years to Gloria Bigsby before her death in 2023. He is survived by his son, David Maurice Bigsby (Natasha Bigsby), and his daughter, Ingrid Nicole Colon (John Colon), and four grandchildren and will truly be missed by all;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and Members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby honor the life of Reverend David Bigsby as a distinguished member of the community; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, this text be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body and a suitable copy be presented to the family of Reverend David Bigsby so that his memory may be so honored and ever cherished.
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