MEMORIAL-LEE A. COLEMAN II

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SR0628

Select Language

×

The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience. In no way should it be considered accurate as to the translation of any content herein.

Visitors of the Illinois General Assembly website are encouraged to use other translation services available on the internet.

The English language version is always the official and authoritative version of this website.

NOTE: To return to the original English language version, select the "Show Original" button on the Google Translate™ menu bar at the top of the window.

Choose Language

English

Afrikaans

Albanian

Arabic

Armenian

Azerbaijani

Basque

Bengali

Bosnian

Catalan

Croatian

Czech

Danish

Dutch

Esperanto

Estonian

Filipino

Finnish

French

Galician

Georgian

German

Greek

Gujarati

Haitian Creole

Hausa

Hawaiian

Hebrew

Hindi

Hungarian

Icelandic

Indonesian

Interlingua

Interlingue

Inuktitut

Irish

Italian

Japanese

Javanese

Kannada

Khmer

Korean

Latin

Latvian

Lithuanian

Luxembourgish

Macedonian

Malagasy

Malayalam

Maltese

Maori

Marathi

Myanmar

Nepali

Norwegian

Odia

Pashto

Punjabi

Romanian

Russian

Samoan

Sango

Sanskrit

Sardinian

Sindhi

Sinhala

Slovak

Slovenian

Somali

Southern Sotho

Spanish

Sundanese

Swahili

Swedish

Tamil

Telugu

Thai

Tigrinya

Tonga

Turkish

Ukrainian

Urdu

Vietnamese

Welsh

Xhosa

Yiddish

Yoruba

Zulu

Powered by
Translate

Close

Illinois General Assembly

Top Navigation Bar

Translate

Learn

Select General Assembly

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter search terms for legislation, members, committees, or schedules.

ILGA.GOV

LEGISLATION & LAWS

Bills & Resolutions

Public Acts

Illinois Compiled Statutes

Illinois Constitution

Search Legislation

Glossary

Guide

Reports & Inquiry

Legislative Reports

Special Reports

FTP Site

Legislator Lookup

Capitol Complex Phone Numbers

Rules & Regulations

Illinois Register

Administrative Rules

Senate

Members

Schedules

Committees

Request for Remote Testimony

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

Senate Employment Opportunities

Media Guidelines

House

Members

Schedules

Committees

Submit testimony for House Committees

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

House Employment Opportunities

Log In

Mobile Top Bar

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter keywords to search the Illinois General Assembly website.

Full Text of SR0628

Home

Legislation

Full Text

SR0628 - 104th General Assembly

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Select Menu

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Open PDF

SR0628
LRB104 20908 LAW 34633 r
1
SENATE RESOLUTION

2

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3
to learn of the death of Lee Arthur Coleman II of East St.
4
Louis, who passed away on September 10, 2025; and

5

WHEREAS, Lee Coleman was born to Sarah (Boochee) and Lee
6
Coleman Sr. in East St. Louis on April 10, 1952; he belonged to
7
the group of students known as the "East St. Louis 12", who
8
were the first, by federal decree, to integrate Lansdowne
9
Junior High School; he later graduated from East St. Louis
10
Senior High School in 1970, and he earned his Bachelor of
11
Science in Education and Social Work from the University of
12
Illinois; and

13

WHEREAS, Lee Coleman returned to his hometown of East St.
14
Louis, where he began his career as an outreach worker at
15
Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House; he founded Buster
16
Drugless, Inc., a program designed to combat drug addiction,
17
and he became a mentor and frequent speaker for The James F.
18
Clayborne Mentoring and Enrichment Program; he was also a
19
business owner and educator, working as a substitute teacher
20
in East St. Louis School District 189; and

21

WHEREAS, Lee Coleman served as equal employment officer
22
with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for 15

SR0628
- 2 -
LRB104 20908 LAW 34633 r
1
years until his retirement in 2019; during his tenure, he was
2
widely regarded as an authority on navigating the agency; his
3
work ensured fairness and equity in opportunities for
4
Black-owned businesses, leading to the passage of two key
5
bills in the Illinois General Assembly that guaranteed
6
minority contractors access to road construction contracts
7
through IDOT; and

8

WHEREAS, Lee Coleman held numerous roles that reflected
9
his dedication to community and justice throughout his life,
10
including serving as precinct committeeman, purchasing
11
director, and city manager for East St. Louis; he helped
12
manage Barack Obama's campaign during his run for U.S. Senate
13
in 2003; he also served as both a board member and the southern
14
regional vice president of the Illinois State Black Chamber of
15
Commerce, strengthening the voice and visibility of Black
16
businesses throughout the region; and

17

WHEREAS, Lee Coleman's deepest passion was empowering the
18
people in his community to reach their full potential; in his
19
personal time, he was a steady presence for children, teens,
20
and young adults, offering financial support, connecting them
21
with job opportunities, or simply stepping in as a surrogate
22
father with a compassionate ear; his mentorship and care left
23
an enduring mark on countless lives; and

SR0628
- 3 -
LRB104 20908 LAW 34633 r
1

WHEREAS, At the time of his passing, Lee Coleman was
2
survived by his wife of 52 years, Annette Fields Coleman;
3
their children, Lee Arthur (Josephine) Coleman III, Tamasha
4
(Melvin) Coleman-Davis, and Sarah (Craig) Stennis; three
5
grandchildren; his siblings, Peggy (Bobby) Wedgeworth, Carol
6
Malone, Pearlie (Larry) Barton, Doris Marie (John) Grinston,
7
Renate Coleman, Larry (Etta) Coleman, Bobby (Kimberly)
8
Coleman, and Ray (Cynthia) Coleman; and a host of nieces,
9
nephews, cousins, and friends; therefore, be it

10

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL
11
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
12
Lee Arthur Coleman II and extend our sincere condolences to
13
his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
14
further

15

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16
presented to the family of Lee Coleman as an expression of our
17
deepest sympathy.

Footer

Disclaimer

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.

Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.
Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn