Bill Text: IL SR0067 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourns the death of Roger Loy Yarbrough of Champaign.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2025-02-05 - Resolution Adopted [SR0067 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-SR0067-Introduced.html

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SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
to learn of the death of Roger Loy Yarbrough of Champaign, who
passed away on December 27, 2024; and
WHEREAS, Roger Yarbrough was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma
to Lee Allen and Zeta Geneva Yarbrough on January 24, 1929 and
was reared in nearby small oil towns; in 1939, his family moved
to Southern Illinois, and they settled in Vandalia; he
graduated from Vandalia Junior High and High School, where he
played the French horn in the school band; he attended the
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the ROTC program
and graduated with a bachelor's degree in mechanical
engineering in 1950; he served as a second lieutenant in the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during the Korean War, where he
worked with heavy machinery and road construction; he married
Dolores Graham in 1951, and they settled in Champaign in 1962;
and
WHEREAS, Roger Yarbrough found his niche in the asphalt
paving industry, where he eventually worked as the Fayette
County road engineer; he took a job with Parro Construction as
their chief engineer in 1962, which he and several partners
purchased in April 1966 and renamed University Asphalt, which
became very successful with him as its president and general

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manager and built many of the interstates, roads, and parking
lots in Central Illinois; he acquired Danville Asphalt and
merged it with University Asphalt into the APCON Corporation;
he was president of APCON, University Construction, Danville
Construction, and its subsidiaries, which he maintained until
he retired in late 1997; and
WHEREAS, Roger Yarbrough was a member of the National
Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), where he served as
chairman of the board in 1984; from 1994-1996, he was chairman
of the NAPA Research and Education Foundation, which created
the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn
University; he was named NAPA's Man of the Year in 1997 and was
inducted into the NAPA's Hall of Fame and became a NAPA
lifetime member; and
WHEREAS, Roger Yarbrough was also an active member in the
Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association, the Associated General
Contactors (AGC) of Illinois, and the Strategic Highway
Research Program (SHRP), which was part of the National
Research Council for the U.S. Department of Transportation; he
served on the executive committee and the expert task group of
SHRP for many years until his retirement; he helped to
revolutionize pavement standards in the U.S.; and
WHEREAS, Roger Yarbrough was involved in researching and

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writing papers that were used internationally, including
speaking before congressional committees to help secure
funding for innovation in asphalt paving; he invented new
techniques in paving that are still used today and created new
methods for recycling used pavement from construction repaving
projects; he developed methods for collecting and recycling
used oil materials for use in road construction projects; he
was issued a U.S. patent on May 21, 1986 and created a new
company called Sulcon; and
WHEREAS, Roger Yarbrough and Dolores supported numerous
charitable organizations during their lives; they were
supporters of the performing arts, including serving as
co-chairs of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Advisory Board, and both were active in Illinois Opera
Enthusiasts, The Chicago Lyric Opera and the Metropolitan
Opera; they supported local schools and were supporters and
fans of the Fighting Illini, holding season tickets for
football and basketball; and
WHEREAS, Roger Yarbrough's favorite pastime was traveling,
especially with his family; in the early years, the family
spent many happy days camping and boating with friends; later
in life, Roger and Dolores traveled on the QE2, went on safari
in Eastern Africa, played golf in Scotland, and explored
Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica

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on cruise ships, trains, and airplanes; he was an excellent
golfer, shooting two holes-in-one in his lifetime, almost 50
years apart; he and Dolores were members of the Vandalia
Country Club in the 1950s-1960s, and they joined the Champaign
Country Club in the mid-1960s, where he served as a president
of the club and was a member for over 50 years, playing
countless rounds of golf; and
WHEREAS, Roger Yarbrough and Dolores joined St. Matthew's
Lutheran Church in Urbana in the 1960s and were active in
building the current church on Philo Road; in later years,
both were active in and attended Grace Lutheran Church in
Champaign; The Roger and Dolores Yarbrough Foundation
supported the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum,
the Boys and Girls Club of Champaign-Urbana, Empty Tomb
Ministries, Kogudus Ministries, Phi Beta Chi Sorority, and
countless others over many years; and
WHEREAS, Roger Yarbrough enjoyed making friends from all
over the world, including business colleagues from the paving
business worldwide, University of Illinois Engineering School
professors, and foreign-exchange students from Pakistan,
Austria, and China, friends of his children, friends from
church, and lots of people he just happened to meet along the
way; and

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WHEREAS, Roger Yarbrough was preceded in death by his wife
of over 70 years, Dolores; and
WHEREAS, Roger Yarbrough is survived by his children,
Michelle (Jackie) Yarbrough, Lee Yarbrough (Robin Yamashiro),
and Amy (Mario) Cuomo, and Amy's triplets, Elena Cuomo,
Caterina Cuomo, and Mario Cuomo; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
Roger Loy Yarbrough and extend our sincere condolences to his
family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to the family of Roger Yarbrough as an expression of
our deepest sympathy.