HR0115 LRB096 11522 KXB 22003 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of John
4 Kuntz of Loda, who passed away on February 8, 2009; and
 
5     WHEREAS, John Kuntz was born on November 16, 1938 in
6 Paxton; he was the only child of Marvin and Vernette
7 Fredrickson Kuntz; he married Marjorie Weakley on December 22,
8 1957 at Onarga Methodist Church; and
 
9     WHEREAS, John Kuntz attended schools in Paxton and
10 graduated from Onarga High School in 1956; he attended Illinois
11 State University at Normal, earning his bachelor's degree in
12 business education in 1968; he then earned his master's degree
13 in education from National College of Education in Evanston in
14 1983; and
 
15     WHEREAS, John Kuntz began teaching and coaching at Danforth
16 Grade School in 1958; after two years at Danforth, he was hired
17 at the Onarga Unit 1 school district, where he taught and
18 coached for 18 years; he also served as athletic director at
19 Onarga for the school's sports programs for a number of years,
20 which involved hosting yearly conference, county, and regional
21 basketball tournaments at the school; his 1962 junior high
22 basketball team advanced to the Illinois State Tournament,

 

 

HR0115 - 2 - LRB096 11522 KXB 22003 r

1 where they were defeated by the three-time State champion
2 Lincoln Junior High team; in 1963, the team lost by one point
3 to Urbana Junior High in the finals of the sectional tourney;
4 and
 
5     WHEREAS, John Kuntz, along with Gilman Junior High
6 Principal and AD Charles Pritchett, started the "Twin County
7 Conference", a conference composed of schools from Ford and
8 Iroquois Counties; the conference is still going strong after
9 40 years, a testament to the leadership of its founders; and
 
10     WHEREAS, After 10 years at the junior high level, John
11 Kuntz began coaching high school athletics; during this time,
12 he served on the Illinois Football Advisory Committee; and
 
13     WHEREAS, After 20 years in education, John Kuntz was
14 elected and sworn in as the Iroquois County Clerk/Recorder on
15 December 1, 1978; once again showing his leadership skills, he
16 was the only person in the history of Iroquois County to have
17 been elected to the office of county clerk for five terms;
18 during those 20 years, Mr. Kuntz held every office of the
19 Illinois County Clerks Association, including president of the
20 State association; he also served on the first Illinois State
21 Board of Education's Advisory Committee beginning in 1980,
22 remaining a member of that committee until his retirement on
23 November 30, 1998; and
 

 

 

HR0115 - 3 - LRB096 11522 KXB 22003 r

1     WHEREAS, John Kuntz was a member of the Onarga Education
2 Association, where he served as president; he was a member of
3 the Illinois Education Association State Board of Directors and
4 a lifetime member of the National Education Association; he was
5 a member of the Illinois Association of County Officials; he
6 was a lifetime member of the International Association of
7 Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers, where he
8 served on various committees; he was a member and served as
9 president of the Ford-Iroquois County Retired Teachers
10 Association for several years until his retirement in 2008; he
11 was a member of Lions Clubs in Watseka and Onarga and the Loda
12 Lions Club; he was a member of the Onarga United Methodist
13 Church, where he had served as Sunday school superintendent and
14 on the board of trustees; he was a member of the Grand Prairie
15 Seminary Board and the Onarga Academy Advisory Board; he was a
16 past member of the Watseka Elks Club and a member of the
17 Lakeview Country Club at Loda; and
 
18     WHEREAS, John Kuntz was elected to serve for several terms
19 on the Onarga Village Board during the 1960s and 1970s; he also
20 served as a substitute city letter carrier in the early 1960s;
21 and
 
22     WHEREAS, In 2002, John Kuntz ran for the office of county
23 board member of the fifth district; once elected, he served as

 

 

HR0115 - 4 - LRB096 11522 KXB 22003 r

1 chairman of the judicial, public safety, and tax committee; he
2 served as vice-chairman of the East Central Illinois Community
3 Action Board and was the organizer of Juvenile Justice, a
4 successful school program; and
 
5     WHEREAS, John Kuntz was a loyal and dedicated fan of the U
6 of I athletic teams, Chicago Bears, and Cincinnati Reds for
7 over 60 years; and
 
8     WHEREAS, John Kuntz was preceded in death by his parents;
9 his son, Timothy Paul; his brother, Perry Schneider; his
10 step-mother, Bernice Kindig Kuntz; his step-father, William
11 Schneider; his sister-in-law, Lillian Weakley Powers; and his
12 brother-in-law, Tom Weakley; and
 
13     WHEREAS, John Kuntz is survived by his wife, Marjorie; his
14 sons, John David (Taina) and Jeffrey Mark (Kara); his daughter,
15 Mindy Sue (Mick) Hagan; his sister, Deborah (Michael)
16 Gallagher; his sister-in-law, Linda Schneider; his
17 brothers-in-law, Jerry (Terri) Weakley and Bill (Diana)
18 Weakley; his grandchildren, Shannon (Ryan) Hill, Jeremy
19 (Kristin) Kuntz, Kourtney Kuntz, Anna Marjorie Hagan, and Karn
20 "Lui" Lertpisarnchai; his step-grandsons, Jake Hagan and
21 Gregory Deno; his step-granddaughter, Kyndl Deno; his
22 great-grandsons, Timothy and Nathan Hill; his
23 great-granddaughter, Makenna Kuntz; and his many nieces,

 

 

HR0115 - 5 - LRB096 11522 KXB 22003 r

1 nephews, and other relatives; therefore, be it
 
2     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
4 mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of John
5 Kuntz; and be it further
 
6     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7 presented to the family of John Kuntz as an expression of our
8 sympathy.