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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE LIFE OF THE HONORABLE BILLY LAWLESS
WHEREAS, William "Billy" Noel Lawless was born in Rahoon, County Galway, to Ellen and Thomas Lawless on December 24, 1950; and
WHEREAS, Billy was the beloved husband of Anne (née O' Toole); loving father of Billy Jr., Clodagh, Amy, and John Paul and their partners; and much-loved grandad of eight grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, as a young boy he worked on his family’s dairy farm delivering milk to neighboring communities; and
WHEREAS, Billy participated in competitive rowing, and in 1976 he won a gold medal at the World Masters’ Regatta in Sweden, and was a member of the Irish National Rowing Squad and in recent years, he also helped bring the “Tribesmen Head of the River” rowing event in Galway into the national spotlight; and
WHEREAS, inspired by his daughter’s rowing scholarship to a college in Massachusetts, Billy and his family emigrated from Ireland to the United States in 1998; and
WHEREAS, Billy started in Wrigleyville opening The Irish Oak; and
WHEREAS, Billy formed the Chicago Irish Pub/Restaurant Association in 2001 and with a growing business Billy established the Gage Hospitality Group in 2007. He and his four children have since opened and operated many establishments in Chicago including Acanto, Coda Di Volpe, The Dawson, The Dearborn and The Gage; and
WHEREAS, in addition to his growing hospitality business, Billy became a vocal advocate for immigrant and refugee rights working with the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) as Vice-President of the organization. He was a founding member of the Chicago Celts for Immigration Reform and the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition now the American Business Immigration Coalition. Billy was also a member of the National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Council and Co-Chair of the Immigration Committee; and
WHEREAS, in 2014, through these organizations and his tireless and consistent advocacy work, a major improvement was made through the passing of an Illinois law that allows driver’s licenses to be issued to undocumented immigrants; and
WHEREAS, Billy developed strong links between his hometowns of Chicago and Galway, serving as Co-Chairman of the Galway-Chicago Sister Cities Committee since 1998; and
WHEREAS, Billy also was a member of Cook County’s International Trade Partnership Program’s Partners with Ireland Committee. Created to foster bilateral trade and cultural exchange, Billy assisted with Cook County’s Sister-County partnerships with Counties Armagh and Down in the North of Ireland and the County of Cork, Ireland; and
WHEREAS, Billy and his wife, Anne, became citizens of the United States in July 2014, and later that year he was asked to introduce President Barack Obama before his speech at Chicago’s Copernicus Center announcing Presidential Executive Orders focused on undocumented parents of US citizens and legal residents; and
WHEREAS, his native hometown recognized his work for Irish emigrants and his assistance in strengthening ties between Galway, the U.S. and the rest of the world, Billy was the 29th person granted the status of “Freeman of Galway” in 2015 by the Galway City Council; and
WHEREAS, in the same year, he was also conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Law by the University of Galway; and
WHEREAS, having a community’s voice heard was important to him, and as many nations allow their emigrant citizens the ability to vote, in 2016, Billy became one of the founders of VotingRights.ie an international organization dedicated to changing laws to allow the Irish diaspora voting rights in Irish elections; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of his life-long work on behalf of immigrants, Billy was appointed by Taoiseach Enda Kenny to be the first Irish Senator based overseas to represent the worldwide Irish diaspora. Often noted as “the Senator with the longest commute”, he held this position representing Irish emigrants in the US and around the world from 2016-2020; and
WHEREAS, Billy was awarded The Irish Echo newspaper’s “Irish American of the Year” honor in 2020 and was presented with the “Presidential Distinguished Service Award for Irish Community Support” from the Irish government in 2021; and
WHEREAS, Billy died on November 8, 2024; and
WHEREAS, the Galway Plenary Council dedicated a conveying of sympathy for Billy at their meeting and a Book of Condolences was opened in Galway City Hall; and
WHEREAS, another Book of Condolences was opened at the Consulate General of Ireland in Chicago for all to share their thoughts for the family and remembrances of Billy; and
WHEREAS, online platforms and web streams of the Funeral Mass in Chicago and Memorial Service at Galway Cathedral have allowed all who knew him to be present and participate; and
WHEREAS, the plentiful news articles and messages of condolences share many of the same words describing Billy: “he always looked out for others”; “he treated everyone equally”, “he was a true gentleman”; “no one was a stronger advocate”; “he made a difference”; “he had a gift for uniting people”’, “he listened”, “he cared”, “he sought to improve the lives and destinies of others” and “he left the world better than he found it”; and
WHEREAS, current and former Taoiseachs, the President of Ireland, Irish and American Senators, elected officials and community leaders, family and friends have all remarked on his “spirit and values”, “deep commitment”, “generous and warm welcome”, “laughter” and his “profound and positive influence in the world”; and
WHEREAS, Billy Lawless was a man who founded many organizations and movements, it is important to remember the John F. Kennedy quote his family chose to share…"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.".
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the President and Board of Commissioners of Cook County do hereby hold their reverence in honor of the historic life of the Honorable Billy Lawless, and offer their deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues around the world; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of the Honorable Billy Lawless as an expression of appreciation for his life and work. He is an inspiration to us all.
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