Newspapers / Chowan University Student Newspaper / June 1, 1990, edition 1 / Page 4
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Development News In memory of Timothy Guffee- I ^ a straight forward young man^ Tim Guffee Timothy Guffee lived a life most teen agers would dream about. In the countryside near Apex, N.C., he grew up within the arms of a loving, Christian family which was very close. He practiced golf under the pines in his back yard, and loved playing with his dog. He came to Chowan College in 1986 to play golf for Coach Bill Sowell. He played the course at Beechwood, like he played the one near his home, very well. Then, on April 5, 1986, during spring break, while still a freshman, Tim Guffee was killed in a tragic car accident. Although this young golfer’s dreams were never realized, Tim’s life can still be an inspiration to others through the Timothy James Guffee Scholarship established by a gift from Mr. and Mrs. James Guffee, Tim’s parents. The Guffees’ gift has been matched by the IBM Corporation where his father, Jim Guffee worked for 30 years. “Those close to him remember Tim for his unique character and his outstanding person ality,” recalls his father. “He was a straight forward and honest young man.” Tim’s parents have known tragedy twice in their family life, first with the untimely death of their oldest son, Paul, in a plane crash, and then with Tim’s death inl986. ‘Through the experiences we’ve been through, we feel God is using us to help others,” says Mr. Guffee. “1 have been called into the ministry because of the need to share this love with others.” Jim Guffee has entered the Baptist semi nary at Wake Forest and has just completed his first semester. He and his wife often work with young people and use their experience to help and guide others. Their daughter, Melinda, is married and still lives in the Raleigh area, so the Guffees enjoy visiting with their grandchildren. Mr. Guffee explains the family wished to established a memorial scholarship in Tim’s name so deserving students can attend Chowan College, because the school meant a lot to Tim. “Chowan is a good school, and has a reputation for helping students with their grades, and helping them to grow. The golf coach. Bid Sowell was a good influence on Tim. He talked straight with him,” states Mr. Guffee. Coach Sowell remembers Tim Guffee very well as “one of the finest young men I ’ ve ever been associated with.” “He was an excellent, well-mannered young man. He was just coming into his own in golf, and was fine-tuning his game. He could have gone on to play Division I golf,” states Mr. Sowell, who remembers that Dan Herring, formerly the pro at Beechwood Country Club, (where the Chowan golf team plays), “thought the world of Tim” and worked with him on his game. Tim received the 1986 “Coach’s Award,” an honor Coach Sowell bestows on a mem ber of the golf team who has an ‘outstanding personality’ and puts forth great effort. According to his father, Tim also received the Coach’s Award from his high school coach. Roger Watson, of Lochmere Golf Club in Cary, where Tim played in high school, established the Tim Guffee Memo rial Junior Golf Championship in Tim’s memory. Watson was one of Tim’s golf in structors, and initiated the tournament with proceeds going toward a scholarship fund for deserving young people. To really know the kind of young man Tim Guffee was and the kind of life he lived, a person has only to listen to the stories his father tells, stories which bring Tim’s sense of humor to life. He loved to play tricks on his mother, and when Tim was stopped for speed ing, he waited until Sunday morning during church in the middle of a hymn before lean ing over to tell his parents he had gotten a ticket for speeding. He later said, “Well, I knew you would scream when I told you.” Mr. Guffee points out he required his children to sit beside him in church until they were the age of 16 years. When Tim turned 16, and was told he was welcome to sit elsewhere, he informed his father, “I’m sit ting where I want to siL” But, that’s the kind of family the Guffees have always been. They believe in living life to the fullest, going on family trips, espe cially fishing, which his father says Tim loved to do better than play golf. It was on one such family fishing trip, right before Tim’s death, that Mr. Guffee felt closest to his son. He remembers when he and Tim were fishing together, and his son told him not to worry about him, that he had a good relationship with God. It was the evening the family returned from that fishing trip that Tim was killed. “I believe the Lord leads us into situations and calls on us to show compassion and love toward others.” says Mr. Guffee. Even in tragedy, such as with the death of their son, Tim, through ministry and efforts such as the Guffee scholarship at Chowan, the Guffees are reaching out to others with their own love and compassion. sti Violet White has always said ‘yes’ to life When Violet White was a little girl, her father would bring her to Murfreesboro shopping, and she would love to visit Chowan College. She even per formed as a small child at the college in a talent show in the 1920’s. My husband always said, “Didn’t anybody ever teach you how to say ‘no’?” and I would say, “I guess not” Mrs. White has certainly never said no to Chowan College, serving on the Board of Trustees when her husband died in 1988, she completed his term of service on the board. Recently, Dr. Jerry Jackson, President of Chowan College, announced Mrs. White has established the Robert C. and Violet White en dowed scholarship at Chowan. Former trustee, the late Bob White, and wife, Vio let, have always been outstanding members of the Windsor community, where they made their home for over fifty years. Mr. White, a farmer, hunter and fish erman, graduated from North Carolina Stale Univer sity, and served on numerous boards and organiza tions in Windsor, including the County Board of Health, and Director of the Historic Hope Founda tion. Mr. White’s mother and aunt both went to Chowan College. “He was always helping pe^^le,” Violet remem bers. “He loved children, although we had none of our PAGE 4— Chowan Today_june, 1990 h ■V'V Violet White poses at her home withflowers she placed in church in memory of her husband, Bob White. own. We have a lot of nieces and nephews, though.” Violet had four aunts to attend Chowan College, and the White home is full of much of the artwork one | of her aunts painted while at Chowan. “I have fond memories of Chowan and going to I visit my aunts there when I was a little girl. We have I always thought so much of the school,” states Violet, j who has a history of getting things done in Windsor, When the Bertie Memorial Hospital was being built in Windsor, Violet led the campaign to build £ nurses’ home nearby. She and another worker drove the then dirt roads collecting money and raised enouglj to construct the building. That building now serves a^ a rest home in Windsor, for which Violet White is i member of the three-person executive service. Violel was the first person to receive an award from Windsor Rotary Club for service to Windsor in 1949^ She has always been an active leader in the Cashi| Baptist Church in Windsor, serving as President ( the WMU there. The scholarship, established in memory of her hud band, Robert C. White, will be presented to worthj students wishing to attend Chowan College. Violet smiles when she looks at a picture of h^ husband as a young man and says, “Bob would have wanted it that way.”
Chowan University Student Newspaper
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June 1, 1990, edition 1
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