HR0219 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0219 LRB097 11328 KXB 53465 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Virgil H. Motsinger of Harrisburg, who passed away on March 2, 2011; and

WHEREAS, He was born February 21, 1933, in Crab Orchard to the late Virgil "Copper" and Irene (LaMaster) Motsinger; on June 5, 1955, he married his college sweetheart, Mata Hester, at First United Methodist Church in Shattuc; and

WHEREAS, He was an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Harrisburg, where he taught Sunday school for the past 40 years; he was a member of the Methodist Men, the Harrisburg Rotary, the Southeastern Illinois College Foundation, and served on the board at Mid Country Bank; and

WHEREAS, He grew up in Crab Orchard and graduated from Crab Orchard High School in 1951; he attended McKendree College from 1951 to 1955 and was a member of the varsity basketball and track team all four years; while attending McKendree he met his future wife, Mata; and

WHEREAS, He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1954 to 1957 and received a Master's degree in health and physical education from Indiana University; for 35 years he served as coach, athletic director, and health and physical education teacher at Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg; and

WHEREAS, He was a coaching legend in Southern Illinois; he was the basketball coach at Woodlawn High School from 1956 to 1961; he was the basketball coach and for several years the baseball coach at Southeastern Illinois College; he had a career coaching record of 679 wins, 383 losses; and

WHEREAS, During the 1997-98 season, he served as an assistant to Rich Herrin at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale; he coached fifth and sixth grade basketball in Harrisburg from 1998 to 2000; he was a member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the National Junior College Basketball Hall of Fame, the McKendree College Hall of Fame, and the Southeastern Illinois College Athletic Hall of Fame; in 2006, C Building at Southeastern Illinois College was named the Virgil Motsinger Athletic Complex and in 2011, he received the Crab Orchard High School Distinguished Alumni Award; and

WHEREAS, Virgil Motsinger is survived by his wife, Mata Motsinger, with whom he was married for 56 years; his sons, Mark and his wife, Suzanne Motsinger, and Mike and his wife, Melonie Motsinger; his daughter, Amy and her husband, Garrick Simpson; his loving grandchildren, Adam and his wife, Mariah Dennison, Caleb and Gabriel Motsinger, Masen, Marcella, and McCartney Motsinger, and Abigail Simpson; and his great-grandchildren, Chloe and Ella Dennison; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Virgil Motsinger; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Virgil Motsinger as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.