Louisiana SCR 61: CONDOLENCES: Expresses condolences upon the deaths of former state representative Victor "Vic" Stelly and his wife, Terry Bass Stelly.

Bill Text

2021 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 61
BY SENATORS JOHNS, ABRAHAM, BARROW, BERNARD, BOUIE, CATHEY,
CLOUD, CORTEZ, FESI, FIELDS, HENSGENS, HEWITT, JACKSON,
LUNEAU, MCMATH, MILLIGAN, FRED MILLS, ROBERT MILLS,
MIZELL, PEACOCK, PETERSON, POPE, PRICE, REESE, SMITH,
TARVER, WARD AND WOMACK AND REPRESENTATIVES
BOURRIAQUE, CARRIER, WILFORD CARTER, FARNUM,
GEYMANN, ROMERO AND TARVER
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To express the sincere condolences of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the passing of the
Honorable Victor "Vic" Stelly and Mrs. Terry Bass Stelly and to commend the
legacy of public service that they leave to the community of Lake Charles and the
state of Louisiana.
WHEREAS, it is with great sadness that the Legislature of Louisiana has learned of
the death of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Stelly, who passed away within hours from one another due
to complications from COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, married for over sixty years, Vic and Terry's love affair and great
affection for one another was surpassed only by their love for God; and
WHEREAS, Vic and Terry's personalities were as different as night and day, but it
was their differences that kept them young and passionate; they complemented one another
in such a way that, no matter what life threw at them, they were able to lift the other's chin,
calm each other's spirit, and continuously pointed one another to what mattered most: family,
relationships, and service; and
WHEREAS, the Stellys met at Northwestern State University where Vic was a
quarterback for the NSU Demons, and inseparable from the day they met, they married
during Vic's sophomore year of college; and
WHEREAS, upon graduation, the young couple moved to Baton Rouge where Vic
attended graduate school at Louisiana State University and began his teaching and coaching
career at Broadmoor High School and then at Redemptorist High School before returning
to collegiate competition as an assistant coach for McNeese State University; and
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SCR NO. 61 ENROLLED
WHEREAS, as they settled into their new life in the Lake Charles area, Terry began
her career in public service as a legal assistant for the office of the district attorney in
Calcasieu Parish; and
WHEREAS, Vic's last football season at McNeese State University gave way to an
entirely new season when he was recruited by State Farm to become the local agent for Moss
Bluff, a position he enjoyed for twenty-five years; and
WHEREAS, throughout their careers, Vic and Terry had a genuine interest and love
for the people they served, they tirelessly invested in their community and church, and they
were always open to change that often, but not always, brought growth and opportunity into
their lives; and
WHEREAS, Vic Stelly answered the call to public service by holding both local and
state offices; he was a member of the Calcasieu Parish School Board and a member of the
Louisiana House of Representatives; and
WHEREAS, he served on the school board from 1983 through 1987 and did not seek
reelection because he stated: "I felt like I had done what the people had asked me to do, to
get our schools in good shape"; and
WHEREAS, with no plans to run for another elected office, Vic Stelly began fielding
numerous requests to then become the next state representative for District 35, and without
hesitation, he entered the race and won and spent the next sixteen years in Baton Rouge
crafting policies with the people's best interest at heart; and
WHEREAS, he served with unwavering dedication as a member of the Louisiana
House of Representatives from 1988 through 2004 representing the concerns of residents of
District 35; and
WHEREAS, noted as one of his biggest and most impressive political victories
during his tenure, Mr. Stelly's desire to create more fiscal stability for the state by swapping
higher income taxes for sales taxes on food, prescription drugs, and utilities was approved
by the voters in 2002; and
WHEREAS, Vic Stelly is remembered by his colleagues in the House of
Representatives as a fine gentleman and a true statesman and as a man of great character and
integrity who led by example and was committed and dedicated to his community; and
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WHEREAS, throughout her husband's long career in public service, Terry Stelly was
with her husband every step of the way, from traveling across the state to gain support for
the Stelly Plan, to accompanying Vic to his induction ceremony into the Louisiana Political
Hall of Fame in 2006, and to being with him when he returned to Baton Rouge to serve as
a member of the Louisiana Board of Regents from 2007 through 2013; and
WHEREAS, while the Stellys were committed and hard-working in everything they
did, they also took great pleasure in traveling to their favorite vacation spots, making
beautiful memories in Orange Beach, Alabama, with their loved ones, and hosting their
family and friends at every opportunity; and
WHEREAS, when they were together, Vic and Terry Stelly w