2016 -- H 8355

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LC006214

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF ARTHUR B. CORVESE

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Mattiello, Kazarian, DeSimone, Azzinaro, and Jacquard

     Date Introduced: June 16, 2016

     Referred To: House read and passed

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     WHEREAS, It is with great sadness that this House has learned of the passing of Arthur

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B. Corvese, devoted husband of 53 years to Olive Corvese, and the beloved father of our friend

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and colleague the Honorable Dr. Arthur Corvese and his wife, Terry, and Lorraine Savage. He

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was also the very proud grandfather of Maria Lenz and her husband, Matthew, and Christina

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Corvese; and

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     WHEREAS, Mr. Corvese was the son of Emilio and Domenica Corvese, the brother of

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the late Elia Corvese, and half-brother of Steven Evangelista. He was a graduate of Ezek Hopkins

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Junior High, where he received the Senator Anthony medal for "Best All-Around Male Student,"

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and Mount Pleasant High School, where he was a standout athlete, breaking four school track

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records and making All-State in the 220 yard dash in his sophomore year, and All-State in the 100

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and 220 yard dashes in his senior year; and

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     WHEREAS, Upon graduation from high school, Mr. Corvese attended Providence

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College on a track scholarship, attaining his Bachelor of Arts in Education, and graduating in

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1954. During his collegiate years, he ran at Madison Square Garden and in the Penn Relays,

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breaking his own personal best 440 yard time. From 1954 through 1956, he served our country

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with honor in the United States Army and was stationed at Walter Reed Army Hospital in

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Washington, D. C.; and

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     WHEREAS, Mr. Corvese began his teaching career as a seventh grade Social Studies

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teacher in Massachusetts before moving to Burrillville, Rhode Island, in 1959, where he was

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hired as a seventh and eighth grade teacher in the former four-room Mapleville Grammar School,

 

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and was made principal/teacher for the next three years. In September of 1963, he was appointed

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Supervising Principal of the former Pascoag Grammar School. He received his Master’s Degree

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in Administration and Supervision on the Secondary Level from Rhode Island College in 1965,

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and retired in 1985; and

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     WHEREAS, Mr. Corvese's professional associations included serving as past President

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of the Burrillville Teachers Association, former Director of the Safety Junior Police Program for

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all the Burrillville Elementary Schools, and being a life member of the Rhode Island State

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Teacher’s Association; and

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     WHEREAS, Active in civic organizations, Mr. Corvese was a Charter Member of the

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former Burrillville Jaycees Chapter, serving as State Director, Vice-President, and Executive

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Vice-President, and achieving a Life Membership as Jaycee Senator 7047 and receiving the

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Young Outstanding Educator trophy award in 1967. He was also actively involved in the

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establishment of the Jaycee Chapter at the ACI during the 1960s; and

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     WHEREAS, In addition, Mr. Corvese was an active member of the Burrillville Lions

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Club for 47 years. He served on numerous Lion's committees, and had worked his way up to

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serving as its President. He was the Burrillville Lions Club’s first state-wide District Governor,

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and was immensely proud to be the first member of Rhode Island Lions District 42 to be honored

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with the prestigious national Melvin Jones Fellowship Humanitarian award. He was subsequently

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also honored with the Progressive Melvin Jones award. He also helped to found the Lions Club

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on Block Island and served as the Region I Director of the Rhode Island Lions Sight Foundation.

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He remained a Life Member as a Director Emeritus; and

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     WHEREAS, A contributing member of the community, Mr. Corvese was the former

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Vice-Chairman of the Burrillville Planning Board, and a charter member, founder, and President

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of the Good Sam Camping Chapter RI-17, the Little Rhody Sams. In addition, as a cancer

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survivor, he supported the American Cancer Society and participated in its annual Relay-For-Life

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beginning in 2006; and

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     WHEREAS, Arthur Corvese lived his life by a motto from his Junior High School, "Not

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for School, but for Life, we Learn!" He emulated the spirit of this motto throughout his lifetime

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and instilled this belief in his children. He was a remarkable gentleman whose life was filled with

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family devotion and service to his fellow man. He will be deeply missed; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

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Providence Plantations hereby extends its sincere condolences on the passing of Arthur B.

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Corvese; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

 

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transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Mrs. Olive Corvese, the Honorable Dr. Arthur

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and Terry Corvese and Family, and Lorraine Savage.

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