NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Hampton Roads is preparing a fond farewell for Coach Elwood Williams, who died Monday at 82.
Williams was born in 1942 and lived in a home his father built on Elaine Avenue in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Folks in Jim Crow’s south called the street Poor House Road because of a nearby home that was in poor shape.
In 1964, Williams earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and taught classes in Rich Square, North Carolina. He would later move to Norfolk, where he would spread a wealth of knowledge to generations of children.
As executive director of the Colonial Boys Club, and later the Southside Boys & Girls Club, Coach Elwood Williams used sports to teach the game of life. Current Executive Director Gregg Shivers trained under Williams and said that, once a child is Coach’s kid, that child is always Coach’s kid.
“He was a father-figure to so many of us that he guided us and he gave us direction and he was there for us any time of the day [and] any time of the night,” Shivers said. “I can remember calls coming from the prison system of former students, former members of the club, reaching out to him.”
The people Coach Williams touched over more than four decades are now reaching out to his daughter, 51-year-old La Wanda Williams Spain.
“What I’ve heard the most this week is that he provided a safe place for children in Berkeley,” Williams Spain said. “When he came and built the club in the late seventies, Berkeley wasn’t the safest neighborhood. So the children had a safe place once they crossed that door until parents could work and know the children would be taken care of after school.”
In 1972, Williams provided a safe space for a Berkley boy who would grow up to become the mayor of Norfolk. In September 2022, Mayor Kenneth Alexander and other dignitaries were on hand when the Southside Club dining room was named in honor of the retired Williams. This was Regina Mobley’s last interview with Coach Williams.
“I’d like to thank you for what you did; you always kept us on TV,” Williams said at the time. “We got a lot of donations from people just calling in because they saw that we were making a difference.”
In honor of Coach Williams, Shivers is calling on the community to make a difference.
“The cost of the minimum wage is going up; that’s added costs on our end. So funding has been very, very, very scarce for us,” Shivers said. “But I’m glad that we have a board of directors that really pitches in and fills in the gaps.”
Alexander, in a statement to 10 On Your Side, said that:
“I first met Elwood ‘Coach’ Williams in 1972 when I joined the Southside Boys and Girls Club. He had a profoundly positive impact on lives and communities, leaving a lasting legacy as a transformational leader. Through his tireless efforts, he provided invaluable programs, services, resources, and support to countless kids and families. His remarkable work endures, living on through the generations he coached, mentored, and inspired. Rest well, dear Coach. Your legacy will never fade.
If you would like to donate to the Southside Boys & Girls Club in honor of Coach Williams, see the link above or contact the Club by phone at 757-545-5963 or 757- 545-3289
Funeral arrangements for Coach Elwood Williams
Elwood “Coach” Williams
Service is 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 at Queen St. Baptist Church, Norfolk
Wake service is 4-6 p.m. Friday at Metropolitan Berkley Chapel.