Introduced By: Senators Polisena and Graziano
Date Introduced : June 16, 1998
Referred To: Senate Read and Passed
WHEREAS, William James Molloy was born in Providence on July 23, 1908, the son of James and Mary (Russell) Molloy; and
WHEREAS, He was a member of Assumption Parish on Potters Avenue, Providence; and
WHEREAS, He attended LaSalle Academy and was offered a scholarship to Providence College in 1926, but had to turn it down when his mother passed away, with his family's financial needs being a top priority; and
WHEREAS, He met and married Julia Marino in September of 1941 at Our Lady of Grace Church in Johnston and they lived briefly in the Lymansville section of North Providence; and
WHEREAS, He was drafted into World War II, and was stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia, specializing in the Medical Corps. He also was stationed at Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, a tragic day for many brave soldiers; and
WHEREAS, After the War, William settled in Johnston raising three children and graduated from Bryant College in 1948. Starting out as an accountant, he worked in floor covering, retail and wholesale sales with Stiller Distributors and Magic Carpet; and
WHEREAS, Active in the community; he belonged to the Holy Name Society, a parishioner at St. Thomas' Church, an active volunteer in the American Legion, providing American flags and wreaths to decorate graves and memorials in Johnston; was a General Assembly lobbyist for the RI American Legion, helped enact the rate settling policy for the R.I. Veterans Home, and helped to established the "Bloodmobile" by saving state funds; and
WHEREAS, He is also an avid bowler, reads the Providence Journal from cover to cover, loves Italian food, is fluent in Italian and still drives his Chevrolet to do errands. He loved taking his family out for Sunday drives and would literally show the children the entire state by going out by one route and returning by another, driving Julia absolutely crazy! Even now, he still loves going for rides and "recommends" which route to take; and
WHEREAS, He is an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox, and encouraged his family to participate in all sports; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby congratulates William Molloy on the occasion of his 90th Birthday and also congratulates his daughter Patricia, sons William and Russell, sisters Mary and Nora, grandchildren Kristin, Leigh-Ann, Kevin, Kelly and Daniel, and great-grandchildren Benjamin, Nicole, Jacob, and Tess. They are truly blessed to have such a fine man in their midst. He is an inspiration to us all; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he is hereby authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to William James Molloy.