--- title: HR 481. Wessinger, Dr. William Nettles; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr481 cite_as: HR 481, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr481 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr481.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr481/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71136 date: 2025-03-04 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr480.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr482.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr481.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 481 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-04 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Ron Stephens - Carl Gilliard - Edna Jackson - Jesse Petrea - Bill Hitchens text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR481/2025 upstream_id: 1991514 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - condolence resolution - Georgia House of Representatives - Savannah - memorial tribute --- # HR 481. Wessinger, Dr. William Nettles; condolences ## Text House Resolution 481 By: Representatives Stephens of the 164th, Gilliard of the 162nd, Jackson of the 165th, Petrea of the 166th, and Hitchens of the 161st A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Dr. William Nettles Wessinger; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Dr. William Nettles Wessinger on February 20, 2025; and WHEREAS, Dr. William Nettles Wessinger was born on March 25, 1947, in Columbia, South Carolina, a beloved son of James Bryson and Eliza Nettles Wessinger; and WHEREAS, he served as a guardian of this nation's freedom and liberty with the United States Army, valiantly and courageously aiding his fellow Americans as a Flight Surgeon and holding the rank of Captain prior to his honorable discharge; and WHEREAS, after his military service, he was accepted into the Duke University School of Medicine's orthopedic surgery residency, where he served as chief resident in his fourth year and completed a Fellowship in Hand and Upper Extremities; and WHEREAS, in 1981, he relocated to Savannah, Georgia, to begin his medical career with Orthopedic Associates, which later merged with Optim Orthopedics, and for over 23 years, he provided exceptional care to his patients, forming lasting relationships and earning a reputation as one of the finest orthopedic surgeons in the region; and WHEREAS, transitioning into hospital administration, he further served as Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at Memorial Health, where he contributed to the Quality Improvement Council; and WHEREAS, he was widely respected for his expertise and contributions to the medical field, earning membership in the American Society of Surgery of the Hand, the Piedmont Orthopedic Society at Duke, and the Georgia Orthopedic Society; and WHEREAS, he was united in love and marriage to his wife, Karen, and was blessed with two remarkable children, Lucy and William, as well as two wonderful grandchildren, Noel and Freya; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous man, Dr. William Nettles Wessinger will long be remembered for his love of family, friendship, and community and will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing him. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Dr. William Nettles Wessinger and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Dr. William Nettles Wessinger. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A House resolution honors the life of Dr. William Nettles Wessinger, a Savannah orthopedic surgeon and hospital administrator who died in February 2025, and directs a copy be sent to his family. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a tribute from the Georgia House of Representatives marking the death of Dr. William Nettles Wessinger, an orthopedic surgeon who practiced in Savannah for more than two decades and later served in hospital administration at Memorial Health. It recounts his military service as an Army Flight Surgeon, his medical training at Duke University, his career in orthopedics, and his family life. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It formally expresses the House's condolences and regret at his passing, and it directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for delivery to his family. ### What it does - Formally expresses the House of Representatives' condolences on the death of Dr. William Nettles Wessinger. - Recites his biography, military service, medical career, and family details in the resolution's text. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to his family. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names the family of Dr. William Nettles Wessinger, who will receive a copy, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who is tasked with preparing it. It carries no effect on the general public or on Georgia law. ### Why it matters This is a ceremonial honor rather than a policy change; it creates no new rights, duties, or funding. Its practical effect is limited to the House's formal record and a keepsake copy delivered to the Wessinger family. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses detail his birth, military service as an Army Flight Surgeon, Duke University medical training, and 23-plus year orthopedic career in Savannah. - The resolved clause has the House of Representatives honor his life and memory and express regret at his passing. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to his family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-04) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-04) - Sponsors: Ron Stephens, Carl Gilliard, Edna Jackson, Jesse Petrea, Bill Hitchens - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71136 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr481.md?full=1