HR0115 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0115 LRB096 11522 KXB 22003 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of John Kuntz of Loda, who passed away on February 8, 2009; and

WHEREAS, John Kuntz was born on November 16, 1938 in Paxton; he was the only child of Marvin and Vernette Fredrickson Kuntz; he married Marjorie Weakley on December 22, 1957 at Onarga Methodist Church; and

WHEREAS, John Kuntz attended schools in Paxton and graduated from Onarga High School in 1956; he attended Illinois State University at Normal, earning his bachelor's degree in business education in 1968; he then earned his master's degree in education from National College of Education in Evanston in 1983; and

WHEREAS, John Kuntz began teaching and coaching at Danforth Grade School in 1958; after two years at Danforth, he was hired at the Onarga Unit 1 school district, where he taught and coached for 18 years; he also served as athletic director at Onarga for the school's sports programs for a number of years, which involved hosting yearly conference, county, and regional basketball tournaments at the school; his 1962 junior high basketball team advanced to the Illinois State Tournament, where they were defeated by the three-time State champion Lincoln Junior High team; in 1963, the team lost by one point to Urbana Junior High in the finals of the sectional tourney; and

WHEREAS, John Kuntz, along with Gilman Junior High Principal and AD Charles Pritchett, started the "Twin County Conference", a conference composed of schools from Ford and Iroquois Counties; the conference is still going strong after 40 years, a testament to the leadership of its founders; and

WHEREAS, After 10 years at the junior high level, John Kuntz began coaching high school athletics; during this time, he served on the Illinois Football Advisory Committee; and

WHEREAS, After 20 years in education, John Kuntz was elected and sworn in as the Iroquois County Clerk/Recorder on December 1, 1978; once again showing his leadership skills, he was the only person in the history of Iroquois County to have been elected to the office of county clerk for five terms; during those 20 years, Mr. Kuntz held every office of the Illinois County Clerks Association, including president of the State association; he also served on the first Illinois State Board of Education's Advisory Committee beginning in 1980, remaining a member of that committee until his retirement on November 30, 1998; and

WHEREAS, John Kuntz was a member of the Onarga Education Association, where he served as president; he was a member of the Illinois Education Association State Board of Directors and a lifetime member of the National Education Association; he was a member of the Illinois Association of County Officials; he was a lifetime member of the International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers, where he served on various committees; he was a member and served as president of the Ford-Iroquois County Retired Teachers Association for several years until his retirement in 2008; he was a member of Lions Clubs in Watseka and Onarga and the Loda Lions Club; he was a member of the Onarga United Methodist Church, where he had served as Sunday school superintendent and on the board of trustees; he was a member of the Grand Prairie Seminary Board and the Onarga Academy Advisory Board; he was a past member of the Watseka Elks Club and a member of the Lakeview Country Club at Loda; and

WHEREAS, John Kuntz was elected to serve for several terms on the Onarga Village Board during the 1960s and 1970s; he also served as a substitute city letter carrier in the early 1960s; and

WHEREAS, In 2002, John Kuntz ran for the office of county board member of the fifth district; once elected, he served as chairman of the judicial, public safety, and tax committee; he served as vice-chairman of the East Central Illinois Community Action Board and was the organizer of Juvenile Justice, a successful school program; and

WHEREAS, John Kuntz was a loyal and dedicated fan of the U of I athletic teams, Chicago Bears, and Cincinnati Reds for over 60 years; and

WHEREAS, John Kuntz was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Timothy Paul; his brother, Perry Schneider; his step-mother, Bernice Kindig Kuntz; his step-father, William Schneider; his sister-in-law, Lillian Weakley Powers; and his brother-in-law, Tom Weakley; and

WHEREAS, John Kuntz is survived by his wife, Marjorie; his sons, John David (Taina) and Jeffrey Mark (Kara); his daughter, Mindy Sue (Mick) Hagan; his sister, Deborah (Michael) Gallagher; his sister-in-law, Linda Schneider; his brothers-in-law, Jerry (Terri) Weakley and Bill (Diana) Weakley; his grandchildren, Shannon (Ryan) Hill, Jeremy (Kristin) Kuntz, Kourtney Kuntz, Anna Marjorie Hagan, and Karn "Lui" Lertpisarnchai; his step-grandsons, Jake Hagan and Gregory Deno; his step-granddaughter, Kyndl Deno; his great-grandsons, Timothy and Nathan Hill; his great-granddaughter, Makenna Kuntz; and his many nieces, nephews, and other relatives; therefore, be it

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

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of John Kuntz as an expression of our sympathy.