RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Herbert "Herb" Kelleher has been called to eternal life by the wisdom of God to his eternal reward on January 3, 2019; and,
WHEREAS, The Members of the Chicago City Council have been informed of his passing by the Honorable Raymond A. Lopez, former Southwest Airlines Skycap & Alderman of the 15th Ward; and,
WHEREAS, Herb was born on March 12,1931, raised in Audubon, New Jersey, before ultimately graduating Wesleyan University and New York University; and,
WHEREAS, Herb famously drew a sketch of a potential Texas airline route on a cocktail napkin with one of his clients, Rollin King, that would eventually become known as Southwest Airlines; and,
WHEREAS, Herb and Rollin incorporated Air Southwest Company in 1967 with their first flight taking off on June 18,1971; and,
WHEREAS, Herb would became legendary for the airline model he created that employed single-type aircraft, hired for attitude, trained for aptitude, and prioritized Customer Service above all else; and,
WHEREAS, Southwest Airlines opened gates at Chicago Midway Airport in 1985, starting with seven daily flights to St. Louis, and has now become the dominant carrier at the city's southwest side airport, employing thousands of people servicing hundreds of flights daily; and,
WHEREAS, His ability to live life to the fullest, with gentle assists of nicotine and Wild Turkey, endeared Herb to his family members, friends and a company that LUV'd him in return, and enabled him to enrich thousands of lives in ways they will never forget; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago gathered here this twenty-third of January 2019, do hereby express our sorrow on the death of Herbert "Herb Kelleher" and extend to his family, friends and the entire Southwest Airlines family our deepest sympathy; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Southwest Airlines for viewjng_at-be4h-th£ compan...
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