LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Thomas J. Lily upon the occasion of his
designation as the Grand Marshal of the 22nd Annual Glen Cove St.
Patrick's Day Parade on March 21, 2010

WHEREAS, St. Patrick's Day is a time for people of all nationalities and
generations to assemble and celebrate the rich culture and heritage of
the Irish people throughout the United States; and
WHEREAS, A St. Patrick's Day parade reflects and records the ongoing
history of the United States and Ireland, and provides opportunity for
people of all generations to assemble in ethnic pride and pageantry; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Thomas J. Lily upon the occasion of his designation as the Grand Marshal
of the 22nd Annual Glen Cove St. Patrick's Day Parade to be held on
Sunday, March 21, 2010; and
WHEREAS, A man of singular distinction, Thomas J. Lily has continually
demonstrated extreme competence, extraordinary intelligence and diligent
leadership in his unwavering service to his community and profession and
subsequently has been selected for this most prestigious accolade; and
WHEREAS, A native of the Flatlands area of Brooklyn, Thomas J. Lily is
the youngest of three children born to Frank Lily and Mary Ellen Kelly
of Mary Queen of Heaven parish; and
WHEREAS, Thomas J. Lily graduated from Most Holy Trinity High School
in Brooklyn, New York; he then attended Maryknoll College for three
years and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. John's Univer-
sity; and
WHEREAS, A proud veteran, Thomas J. Lily was a member of the United
States Navy serving mostly aboard the aircraft carrier, Coral Sea in the
Near East, Mediterranean and Caribbean; and
WHEREAS, Upon completion of his service, Thomas J. Lily resumed his
studies and obtained a J.D. degree at night from Fordham Law School,
becoming a member of the Bar in 1961; later, also at night, he received
a LLM at NYU Law School; and
WHEREAS, Thomas J. Lily was appointed an Assistant U.S. Attorney for
the Eastern District of New York by then Attorney General Robert F.
Kennedy; he also went on to start his own practice and is very well
known in the area of labor relations and employment law; he has also
taught in these practice areas as a professor at the Xavier Institute,
C.W. Post, and Cornell School of Industrial-Labor Relations; and
WHEREAS, Despite his busy professional life, Thomas J. Lily has been
called upon to contribute his time and talents to countless endeavors on
behalf of the local community and has always given of himself unstint-
ingly; and
WHEREAS, A man of great faith, Thomas J. Lily is an active member of
St. Boniface Martyr Parish in Sea Cliff, New York; he served as Presi-
dent of the Parish Council, was fundraising captain for the parish,
taught Religious Education classes and belonged to the Nocturnal Adora-
tion Society; he also served as Chairman of the School Board for many
years; and
WHEREAS, Thomas J. Lily, following in the footsteps of his father, is
a longtime member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society; he has served as
President of the Nassau-Suffolk Central Board and is currently President
of the St. Boniface Conference of the Society; and
WHEREAS, In addition, Thomas J. Lily has had a long interest and
involvement in the struggle for religious, civil and national rights in
his ancestral homeland of Ireland; he is a dedicated member of the
Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 8, where he has served as President

for three years and as Historian for many more; he is also a founding
member of the Glen Cove St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee; and
WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the occurrence of such a compassionate blend-
ing of strength, intellect and commitment as that demonstrated by Thomas
J. Lily over a lifetime of sacrifice and dedication to others; and
WHEREAS, With him throughout have been his wife, Marge, and their four
children, Thomas, Joseph, Mary Jo and Sean, as well as their five grand-
children, Thomas, Eileen, Sarah, Jones and Catherine Lilly all of whom
feel privileged to be a part of his life and rejoice in his achieve-
ments; and
WHEREAS, A fitting choice for Grand Marshal of the 22nd Annual Glen
Cove St. Patrick's Day Parade, Thomas J. Lily embodies the spirit and
the cherished ideals and values of Irish-Americans of this great State
and Nation; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Thomas J. Lily upon the occasion of his designation as the Grand
Marshal of the 22nd Annual Glen Cove St. Patrick's Day Parade on March
21, 2010; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Thomas J. Lily.