MEMORIAL-LEROY G. MCDANIELS

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SR0808

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SR0808
LRB104 21969 RMO 37932 r
1
SENATE RESOLUTION

2

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3
to learn of the death of Leroy G. McDaniels of Springfield, who
4
passed away on April 30, 2026; and

5

WHEREAS, Leroy McDaniels, the son of Lillie Mae (McDaniel)
6
Daniels and Harry Flake, was born in Springfield on August 9,
7
1945; his lifelong commitment to gymnastics began at Feitshans
8
High School, where he served as team captain before graduating
9
in 1964; and

10

WHEREAS, Leroy McDaniels worked for Springfield's
11
Department of Recreation for 10 years and developed the city's
12
first and only tumbling team, Flip Flops; together with his
13
wife, Merrill, he founded L&M Gymnastics in 1975 and ran the
14
business for 49 years, also accepting an invitation to open a
15
second location in Pekin; he was a recurring summer coach at
16
the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University
17
of Illinois Chicago for many years in addition to teaching
18
physical education at Blessed Sacrament School and serving as
19
a liaison worker for Springfield District 186; and

20

WHEREAS, Leroy McDaniels, known to his gymnasts as Coach
21
Leroy, made worldwide connections through his dedication to
22
the sport; he escorted gymnasts to 12 countries, including a

SR0808
- 2 -
LRB104 21969 RMO 37932 r
1
performance at The Expo '92 in Seville, Spain, where the US
2
Commander General designated the team as "Goodwill
3
Ambassadors"; L&M Gymnastics hosted athletes and teams from
4
England and the Philippines as well as world-class gymnast
5
Kurt Thomas, and Olympian Dominique Dawes joined the
6
organization on its float at the State fair; and

7

WHEREAS, Leroy McDaniels made a lasting impact on the
8
Springfield community and beyond; he coached countless
9
champions at the state, national, and international levels and
10
was proclaimed the Trainer of Champions by the State Journal
11
Register; he was inducted into the Springfield Sports Hall of
12
Fame as a Friend of Sports in 1998; and

13

WHEREAS, Leroy McDaniels was preceded in death by his
14
parents and his brother, Jackie Daniels; and

15

WHEREAS, Leroy McDaniels is survived by his wife of 59
16
years, Merrill; his son, Tim Garrison; his siblings, Eugene
17
Daniels, Nora Gilmer, and Lorraine (Mitchell) Lathan; his
18
aunt, Roberta Rhoades; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces,
19
great-nephews, great-great-nieces, great-great-nephews, and
20
cousins; and his godchildren, Marci Kristoff and Ryanne
21
Glasper; therefore, be it

22

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL

SR0808
- 3 -
LRB104 21969 RMO 37932 r
1
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
2
Leroy G. McDaniels and extend our sincere condolences to his
3
family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
4
further

5

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6
presented to the family of Leroy McDaniels as an expression of
7
our deepest sympathy.

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