School will honor late TH trustee

Twain Harte area students, staff and school trustees will honor a longtime school board member who died last year.

Twain Harte-Long Barn Union School District members will hold a ceremony at 9 a.m. March 27 at the former Black Oak School at 18815 Manzanita Drive in Twain Harte, where the multipurpose building will be named Cary Wingo Hall.

Wingo, a 23-year school board member, died Oct. 29, 2008, at age 55.

 Wingo attended Twain Harte Elementary School and graduated from Summerville High School in 1971. He then attended Modesto Junior College and Stanislaus State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science.

He earned his law degree from McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. He opened his own law practice in Twain Harte in 1984, but took over Sierra Belle Bakery in 1987 after his father had a heart attack. He worked there until 1997, when the bakery was sold.

At the time of his death, Wingo worked as a baker at Pak-n-Save in Sonora.

“He’s just been so much part of the school for so long,” said Trustee Betty Jespersen. “It’s really a tribute to him. He was a very integral part of the school community.”

At its Feb. 18 meeting, the board of trustees voted to name the multipurpose room/cafeteria after Wingo to honor his service to the district.

The board will present three plaques, one for the building, one for the wall in the room and one for his widow, Phyllis Wingo, said board President Tim Hoffman-Brady.

“We’re humbled and honored that it’s being done,” said Darcy Wingo, Cary’s brother. “It’s a good tribute to my brother.”

Darcy said both Cary and their father were very civic-minded and put in alot of time on school boards.

“The board has decided to have the children do these presentations because they were what was important to Cary,” Hoffman-Brady said. “In every decision, every meeting, year after year, the kids were always front and center in every decision he made. He was a role model to all of us.”