Virgil H. Motsinger
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Virgil H. Motsinger went to be with his Lord and Savior at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 2, 2011, at his home in Harrisburg.
Virgil was born on Feb. 21, 1933, in Crab Orchard to the late Virgil "Copper" and Irene (LaMaster) Motsinger. On June 5, 1955, Virgil married his college sweetheart, Mata Hester, at the First United Methodist Church in Shattuc.
Virgil was an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Harrisburg where he taught Sunday school for the past 40 years. He was a member of the Methodist Men, Harrisburg Rotary, Southeastern Illinois College Foundation and on the board at MidCountry Bank.
Virgil loved his family very much and was active in the lives of his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, Mata Motsinger, with whom he was married for 56 years; two sons, Mark and wife Suzanne Motsinger of Carrier Mills and Mike and wife Melonie Motsinger of Harrisburg; and one daughter, Amy and husband Garrick Simpson of Harrisburg. He is also survived by his loving grandchildren, Adam and wife Mariah Dennison, Caleb and Gabriel Motsinger, Masen, Marcella and Macartney Motsinger and Abigail Simpson; and two great-grandchildren, Chloe and Ella Dennison.
Virgil grew up in Crab Orchard and graduated from Crab Orchard High School in 1951. He attended McKendree College from 1951 to 1955 and was a member of the varsity basketball and track team all four years. It was while attending McKendree that he met his future wife, Mata. Virgil served in the United States Marine Corps from 1954 to 1957 and received a Master's Degree in health and physical education from Indiana University. For 35 years he served as coach, athletic director and health and physical education teacher at Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg.
Virgil was a coaching legend in southern Illinois. He was the basketball coach at Woodlawn High School from 1956 to 1961, he was the basketball coach, athletic director and for several years the baseball coach at Southeastern Illinois College from 1962 to 1997. He had a career coaching record of 679 wins and 383 losses. During the 1997-98 season Virgil served as an assistant to Rich Herrin at Southern Illinois University. Not ready to completely quit coaching, Virgil coached fifth and sixth grade basketball in Harrisburg from 1998 to 2000. He was a member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, The National Junior College Basketball Hall of Fame, McKendree College Hall of Fame and the Southeastern Illinois College Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2006, C Building at Southeastern Illinois College was named the Virgil Motsinger Athletic Complex. In 2011 he received the Crab Orchard High School Distinguished Alumni Award.
Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, March 5, 2011, at the United Methodist Church of Harrisburg. The Rev. David Estep, along with the Rev. Alan Rhein, will officiate. Burial will follow at Mt. Pleasant (Shed) Cemetery near Crab Orchard. Military graveside services will be conducted by the Harrisburg American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the National Guard. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 4, 2011, at the Virgil Motsinger Sports Complex on the campus of Southeastern Illinois College. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Virgil Motsinger Scholarship Fund. Envelopes will be available at both the visitation and funeral or donations may be sent to the United Methodist Church of Harrisburg.
Arrangements are in the charge of Reed Funeral Chapel, Harrisburg.