--- title: SR 330. Wessinger, Dr. William Nettles; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr330 cite_as: SR 330, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr330 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr330.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr330/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71098 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/sr329.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr331.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr330.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 330 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-04 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Ben Watson - Kay Kirkpatrick - Shawn Still - Mike Hodges - Billy Hickman - Derek Mallow text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR330/2025 upstream_id: 1990313 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Georgia Senate resolution - condolences - Savannah medicine - military veterans --- # SR 330. Wessinger, Dr. William Nettles; condolences ## Text Senate Resolution 330 By: Senators Watson of the 1st, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Still of the 48th, Hodges of the 3rd, Hickman of the 4th and others 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 SENATE 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 Secretary of the Senate 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 Georgia Senate resolution honors the life of Dr. William Nettles Wessinger, a Savannah orthopedic surgeon and Army veteran who died on February 20, 2025. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a formal tribute from the Georgia Senate marking the death of Dr. William Nettles Wessinger, an orthopedic surgeon who practiced in Savannah for more than two decades. It recounts his birth in Columbia, South Carolina in 1947, his service as a Flight Surgeon and Captain in the United States Army, his medical training at Duke University, and his career with Orthopedic Associates and Optim Orthopedics, as well as his later role as Chief Medical Officer at Memorial Health. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It simply states the Senate's condolences and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to Dr. Wessinger's family, including his wife, children, and grandchildren. ### What it does - Formally expresses the Georgia Senate's condolences on the death of Dr. William Nettles Wessinger. - Recounts his military service, medical career, and professional memberships as part of the official Senate record. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate 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, including his wife Karen, his children Lucy and William, and his grandchildren Noel and Freya, as well as the Secretary of the Senate, who must distribute the resolution. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or funding effect; it is a symbolic gesture by the Georgia Senate to publicly recognize Dr. Wessinger's life and career and to provide his family with an official memorial document from the state legislature. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses detail Dr. Wessinger's birth, military service as a Flight Surgeon and Captain, and medical training at Duke University. - It notes his 1981 move to Savannah and his more than 23 years practicing orthopedic surgery with Orthopedic Associates and later Optim Orthopedics. - It cites his later administrative role as Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at Memorial Health. - The resolving clause has the Senate express regret at his passing and honor his memory. - The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy to his family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-04) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-03-04) - Sponsors: Ben Watson, Kay Kirkpatrick, Shawn Still, Mike Hodges, Billy Hickman, Derek Mallow - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71098 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr330.md?full=1