MEMORIAL RESOLUTION CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF BOBBIE W. HICKS
WHEREAS, Bobbie W. Hicks, the first African-American layperson to teach in a Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Chicago, and longtime resident of the Austin Community, has passed away at 97 years of age; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of Bobbie's passing by the Honorable Jason C. Ervin, Alderman ofthe 28th Ward; and
WHEREAS, Bobbie was born on February 6, 1924 in Austin, Texas to the union of Willie Roy Conley and Leora O. Conley; and
WHEREAS, In Austin, Texas, Bobbie met the love of her life, Merritt Hicks Jr., and in 1944 the two united in marriage; to their union three children were bom; and
WHEREAS, Bobbie's desire to teach came to her when she was in second grade; her first teaching job was in public schools before she was approached by a religious sister from St. Elizabeth in 1951 to teach in their school, thereby becoming the first African-American layperson to teach in a Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, For over 44 years, Bobbie taught in Catholic schools, including St. Elizabeth, St. James (Wabash Avenue), St. Procopius, St. Frances Cabrini, Resurrection, and St. Martin de Porres; and
WHEREAS, Bobbie received an award from the Archdiocese for her many years of service to the school, however she was not recognized as the first African-American layperson teacher for the Archdiocese until February of 2016 when Catholic students honored her at the 38th-annual African-American Heritage Prayer Service at Holy Name Cathedral where the crowd gave her two standing ovations; and
WHEREAS, Bobbie received the African-American Heritage Award, and in her acceptance speech, she told her students to work hard and do their best; she told the audience "Everybody - doctors, lawyers - has a teacher. Whatever you plan to do in your life, listen to your teacher"; and
WHEREAS, Bobbie is preceded in death by her husband, Merritt Hicks, Jr., one brother, two sisters, a...
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