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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Stuart
4"Stu" Wright of Pinckneyville, who passed away on December 20,
52015; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Stuart Wright was born in Battle Creek, Michigan
7on October 12, 1941 and married Sharon Kay Pursell on June 24,
81961; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Stuart Wright was deeply involved in the
10Pinckneyville community, serving as a board member on the
11Pinckneyville Community High School Board; he was instrumental
12in the foundation of high school shooting sports in the State
13of Illinois and coached the Pinckneyville High School Shooting
14Sports Team to a national championship; he also coached the
15Pinckneyville Optimist Swim Team and helped in the founding of
16the Pinckneyville Band Parents Organization; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Stuart Wright was a lifetime member of the
18National Rifle Association and Amateur Trapshooting
19Association; he was heavily involved with the gun industry
20through his gunsmithing at Wright's Inc. and was a
21world-renowned Winchester Model 12 expert; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Stuart Wright started his gunsmithing company out
2of his garage in the 1970s while working full time as a coal
3miner and electrician, spending 25 years at CONSOL Energy
4Burning Star #4; and
 
5    WHEREAS, In 2002, Stuart Wright started his high school
6coaching career when he was asked to coach the school's FFA
7squad, growing the squad from just 5 shooters to 32 shooters,
8participating in trap, skeet, and sporting clays; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Stuart Wright's motto was "Fun With a Gun"; he led
10his team to national prominence by winning first place high
11overall at the Scholastic Clay Target Program Nationals in July
12of 2015; he taught his students leadership skills, how to act
13safely, and how to be respectful of other teams and fellow team
14members; and
 
15    WHEREAS, As head coach, Stuart Wright believed that every
16child that wanted to shoot should be given the opportunity, and
17that the team would support them in that endeavor regardless of
18financial situation; and
 
19    WHEREAS, On February 6 2015, Stuart Wright learned he had
20Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, but he never let it deter his
21coaching, getting out of bed after chemotherapy to make it to
22the World Shooting & Recreational Complex to watch his kids

 

 

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1compete in the Scholastic Clay Target Program championships;
2therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
5mourn the passing of Stuart "Stu" Wright, and extend our
6sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew
7and loved him; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9presented to the family of Stuart Wright as an expression of
10our deepest sympathy.