DATE: Friday, October 10, 1997              TAG: 9710080170

SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS     PAGE: 02   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: IDA KAY'S PORTSMOUTH 

SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan 

                                            LENGTH:   57 lines

TOURNEY IS MEMORIAL TO STEVEN WILLIAMS

What's a good way to remember a promising young man who was killed before he had a chance in life?

In remembrance of Steven E. Williams, members of the Churchland High School Class of 1979 will be playing golf today. And they always invite the whole region to join in.

To remember their classmate who drowned in a swimming pool accident, class members organized the Steven E. Williams Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament. Over the past 16 years, more than $25,000 has been raised, and 15 Churchland graduates have received scholarships. The awards started at $1,000 in 1983 and now have been increased to $2,000.

The scholarship reflects the young man it honors. It is based on academic achievement and participation in sports. All of the winners have been honor graduates, and all have been leaders on a sports team.

The 17th annual tournament begins today at Sleepy Hole Golf Course with lunch at 11:30 a.m. and a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m.

The four-man teams have paid $120 per team to play. About 100 golfers have signed up to play.

Much of the money earned comes from sponsors of holes, and other corporate contributors cover expenses of the day to swell the tournament's proceeds.

Tournament chairman John Babb of Armada Hoffler said it's rewarding that the group of classmates has been able to sustain the tournament over almost two decades.

A lot of these things get started with a bang and go strong for two or three years, then fade out. That hasn't happened with the Class of '79. The members have kept on honoring their classmate.

Many of the classmates are scattered over the area, and many others live elsewhere. But they continue to make the effort. Babb said about half the players are from the Churchland High classes who were in school at the same time as Williams.

This is one of several tournaments in the area to honor young men who died prematurely. The event certainly is a fitting memorial.

Steven Williams was the son of former Portsmouth City Manager Robert Williams, who now is the developer of Harbour View on the waterfront in Suffolk, near the Portsmouth city line. I remember the shock in this community when he died after breaking his neck in the swimming accident.

That was in 1980. At that time, Williams was attending the University of Virginia. He and his classmates were home from college for the summer.

They undoubtedly were the most stunned of all that their friend had died. They wanted to do something to honor their high school classmate, so they started the golf tournament.

The people who organize the tournament do it with love and good thoughts. They have an important goal. They have continued to build the scholarship, and they are proud of the young people from their old high school who have received it. Incidentally, some young women are among the recipients.

It is a living memorial to Steven Williams and no doubt an honor to those who have been chosen for the awards. It's a wonderfully constructive way to deal with the grief of a loss in life.

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