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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE LIFE OF JAMES F. DONNERY II
WHEREAS, Almighty God in His infinite wisdom has called James "Jim" F. Donnery II from our midst; and
WHEREAS, a citizen of Syracuse, New York, Jim was born in Cornwall on the Hudson, New York, to the late James F. and Dorothy McCabe Donnery on December 24, 1950, the older brother to Patrick Donnery; and
WHEREAS, he enlisted in the Army in 1970, and after completing his basic and advanced training was stationed in Darmstadt, Germany during the Vietnam War, attaining the rank of Specialist (SPC) E-4 as a Radio Specialist, and
WHEREAS, upon an honorable discharge, Jim returned to New York, eventually settling in Syracuse with the love of his life, Gail McCue Donnery, where he worked his way up to Regional Director of Vehicle Safety for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles of Northern New York; and
WHEREAS, Jim connected easily with people from all walks of life, his gentleness and love of life evident to everyone who met him, which drew people to him and won him many friends wherever he went; and
WHEREAS, Jim and his mother Dorothy, who worked for 39 years at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, were well known fixtures at Guinan's, a tiny Irish pub in a general store in Garrison, New York, or as Jim referred to it, the "Little Chapel On the River"-adopted as the book title by Gwendolyn Bounds about a place that fostered community and welcomed all; and
WHEREAS, for over 30 years, Jim visited the greater Chicago area every year during the first weekend of December to reconnect with his Army buddies, Butch Campbell, citizen of Dayton, Ohio, and "Jorge" Dennis Conroy, citizen of Chicago, Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Jim was a big fan of Billy Goat Tavern cheezborgers, making the lower level Michigan Avenue locale his first stop during his annual visits, sometimes before checking into his hotel; and
WHEREAS, due to an aggressive prostate cancer, Jim was unable to visit Chicago one year, but at the request of his Chicago buddy an obliging Billy Goat Tavern manager express-mailed a few orders of cheezborgers, which had Jim scouring every Syracuse tavern and liquor store for Old Style Beer to complete his meal-albeit unsuccessfully; and
WHEREAS, a lover of good food, Jim frequented many eateries in Cook County: delighted in skillet cornbread and live music at Banderas in the Gold Coast, enjoyed Reza's Persian food in Andersonville, savored first-rate Greek food at Mikonos in Niles, danced to Mariachi music at Mi Tierra in Little Village, relished Southern style cooking at Dixie Kitchen in Evanston, first sampled Korean food at Sabo in Niles, and favored Playa Azul and Bruna's in Pilsen, to name a few, and he also enjoyed its cultural offerings, such as Second City, Navy Pier, Goodman Theatre, National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago Cultural Center, Old Town School of Music, Chicago Botanic Garden, and more; and
WHEREAS, Jim passed away on Memorial Day, May 26, 2014, survived by his loving wife Gail, and his brother Patrick and his family, and mourned by the many people whom he touched throughout his well-lived life; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby offer its deepest condolences and most heartfelt sympathy to the family and many friends of James "Jim" Donnery, and joins them in sorrow at this time of loss; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be tendered to his surviving spouse, Gail Donnery, that his memory may be so honored and ever cherished.
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