[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 190 (Monday, December 12, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2228-E2229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IN HONOR OF JACK WINGATE

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 12, 2011

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart and 
feeling of fond remembrance that I rise today to pay tribute to a close 
personal friend, committed community leader, avid conservationist and 
one of America's most accomplished and legendary bass fishermen--the 
late Jack Wingate. Mr. Wingate, affectionately known as the ``Sage of 
Seminole,'' passed away on Thursday, December 8, 2011 at his residence 
in Recovery, Georgia.
  A large gathering that consisted of family members, friends, 
colleagues and his expansive network of admiring fans, paid their 
respects to Mr. Wingate at his funeral service that was held on Monday, 
December 12, 2011, at Calvary Baptist Church. The funeral service was 
followed by an interment at Cool Springs Cemetery and Masonic graveside 
rites were provided by the Faceville Masonic Lodge number 487 along 
with military honors that were bestowed by the United States Navy.
  Mr. Wingate, an immensely popular and universally respected public 
figure in the Decatur County, Georgia community for several decades, 
was born on September 1, 1929 in Faceville, Georgia. The son of William 
Paul Wingate and Myrtle Bates Wingate, he was a 1947 graduate of 
Faceville High School and was a Korean War veteran.
  After honorably serving in the military during the Korean conflict, 
Mr. Wingate returned to his home state of Georgia and founded the 
famous Lunker Lodge on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. This 
nationally renowned lodge has hosted several prestigious fishing 
tournaments and has earned a reputation as a favored compound for 
expert bass fishermen and notable celebrities. Jack also operated the 
Wingate's Fishing Camp for Boys at Lunker Lodge and introduced many 
young men and future expert anglers to the outdoors for 33 years.
  Along with operating the Lunker Lodge, Jack had a very successful 
career as a media commentator and columnist. Over several decades he 
served as a columnist for the Bainbridge Post-Searchlight newspaper and 
frequently made appearances on local TV and radio stations throughout 
Southwest Georgia to discuss current events, tell fishing stories, and 
provide in-depth updates on conditions at Lake Seminole.

[[Page E2229]]

  Jack Wingate achieved numerous successes in his life, but none of 
this would have been possible without the grace of God and his loving 
wife of 59 years, Joyce E. Wingate. Jack was also the proud father of 
three daughters--Katherine W. Kent and her husband, Lamar, of 
Chattahoochee, Florida; Peggy W. MacDonald and her husband, Wayne, of 
Macon, Georgia; and Jacquie Wingate of Recovery, Georgia. Jack is also 
survived by two beloved grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute 
to Mr. Jack Wingate for being an outstanding ambassador and unyielding 
supporter of communities throughout Southwest Georgia and for all the 
outstanding work he did on behalf of working families throughout our 
United States of America.

                          ____________________