Resolution Honoring the Life of Russ Gremel
WHEREAS, Russ Gremel lived an extraordinary life and sadly passed away April 22, 2018, at 99 years old; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Gremel moved into his Jefferson Park bungalow when he was four years old, and remained the rest of his life; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Gremel served as a Lieutenant in the Army during World War II, and afterward, graduated from law school at Northwestern University; and
WHEREAS, with no wife or children of his own, Mr. Gremel served as Scoutmaster to Boy Scout Troop 979 for more than 60 years; and
WHEREAS, during his time as Scoutmaster, Mr. Gremel mentored thousands of young men, continuing through to just before his death; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Gremel, as a young man, made a $1,000 stock investment in a small pharmacy chain, and that investment in Walgreens by 2017 had grown to $2 million; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Gremel, instead of using it for himself, donated the stock to the Illinois Audubon Society for the purchase of 395 acres of Green River lowlands which would become the Gremel Wildlife Sanctuary near Amboy, Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Gremel's love of the outdoors, of scouting, and of life continues to live on through his generous financial contribution to the Illinois Audubon Society, and his generous contribution of wisdom and time to the thousands of Boy Scouts of Troop 979; now
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here in assembly on May 23, 2018, do hereby extend our condolences on the passing of Russ Gremel, and our appreciation for his generosity and leadership.
