Schools
Geneva Mourns Loss of Longtime Educator Charles 'Chic' Williams
Geneva School Board takes a moment to remember Charles "Chic" Williams, the longtime Geneva High School teacher, dean of students and Community Intervention Program coordinator who died Monday.
Geneva School District board members and staff took a moment Monday night to remember longtime educator, coach and dean of students Charles "Chic" Willliams, who died Monday.
Williams was a speech teacher, varsity baseball coach, debate coach and administrator who was active in 1,001 programs at Geneva High School, but he will be most remembered, perhaps, for his work as the National Incident Management System coordinator and Community Intervention Program coordinator.
"There are so many people who said, 'Chic tuned my kid around.' So, God bless you, Chic," School Board member Mary Stith said during the board-member comments portion of Monday night's meeting.
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District 304 Assistant Superintendent Craig Collins said Williams was the dean of students when Collins came to the district 27 years ago.
"He’s always been a person who not only had a great love for students but he recognized that sometimes students make poor choices, and that the best thing you can do in that situation is not to abandon kids but to do what is necessary to support them," Collins said.
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"I can’t count the numerous, behind-the-scenes things that he did—that never got a lot of publicity—where he continually supported kids, didn’t give up on them. While there may be consequences and things they had to do, he was still in their corner, still fighting for them. And I’m sure many kids are better for the steadfast devotion he had for students."
Geneva High School Principal Tom Rogers agreed.
"There are many, many people in this community who credit him with saving their children’s lives—literally," Rogers said. "It didn’t go on in the spotlight, obviously—a lot of behind-the-scenes work, a lot of families that called him very confidentially, asking for help, and I know he was there, willing to give it. And so I know there are a lot of people very grateful for what he did to help them."
Geneva Patch will provide more information, including funeral arrangements and memorials, as they are made available.
