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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE LIFE AND WORK OF WILLIAM "BILL" DREW
WHEREAS, Almighty God in His infinite wisdom called William "Bill" Drew of Waukegan from our midst on May 14, 2017 at the age of 69; and
WHEREAS, Bill Drew contributed an enormous amount to his community of McKinley Park and the greater southwest side of Chicago, where he lived, loved, organized, and nurtured the community for the past 38 years; and
WHEREAS, Bill Drew has touched the lives of hundreds of individuals throughout his longstanding fight for justice and social change; during his college days, he was involved in the anti-war movement at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and
WHEREAS, in 1972, Bill Drew moved to Milwaukee where he became the editor of the Milwaukee Worker, where he organized and wrote stories about the struggles of the factory workers and minorities in the Cream City; and
WHEREAS, Bill Drew moved to Chicago in 1979 where he taught English as a second language to Mexican immigrants at Robert Fulton Elementary in the Back of the Yards, and where he also worked as an intake counselor for dislocated factory workers of the stockyards; and
WHEREAS, it was in this neighborhood that Bill Drew met his beautiful wife, Gloria, whom he described as "incredibly strong, hard-working, and disciplined and the best thing that ever happened to me"; and
WHEREAS, Bill Drew was a tireless activist and leader, always pushing ahead with ways to make a positive difference in people's lives; and
WHEREAS, Bill Drew had multiple talents, and was a computer programmer and a tenacious and thoughtful organizer; and
WHEREAS, one of Bill Drew's greatest talents was his ability to find ways to collaborate and build relationships with people far and wide; there are few people who have had such a profound impact in the political empowerment of working and immigrant communities in the southwest side of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, during his later years, he worked furiously to create a ...
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