The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Scholarship honors President Simmons’ mother, sister Family and friends of Gladys Vernon Williams and Anne Simmons Heifetz have established a scholarship at Lamar University in memory of the two women.

“My mother and sister were great people and we wanted to honor them with a scholarship in their names.

The Gladys V. Williams and Anne S. Heifetz Memorial Scholarship will continue to help people, just as these amazing women did during their lives,” said Lamar President James Simmons.

Williams graduated from South Park High School, attended South Park Junior College on a tennis scholarship and was a Texas state tennis champion.

She lived in Orange for more than 40 years and was very involved with the community.

Williams was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Orange, the Beaumont Junior League, the Orange Service League and the Ivy League Garden Club.

She enjoyed playing bridge and was an accomplished interior decorator.

Williams’ daughter and Simmons’ sister, Anne Heifetz, passed away August 24, 2006.

She was best known for her love of family.

Her sister, Susan Howlett of Austin, recalls the sense of magic Heifetz brought when she entered a room.

“She was one of those people who asked how you were doing and sincerely cared about the answer.

Her family and friends always came first and she is greatly missed,” said Howlett.

Heifetz attended Lamar for one year before moving to San Antonio and graduating from Our Lady of the Lake University.

She and her husband raised their son Andrew in Baltimore, where she retired upon the birth of her first grandchild.

Once a week Heifetz traveled to Virginia to baby-sit her grandchildren, Katie Ruth and Zach.

She was bright in many subjects, but her love for her family superseded everything else, according to Howlett.

The scholarship will be awarded annually to a full-time undergraduate or graduate student.

The scholarship is open to all majors, and recipients must maintain a 2.5 GPA. For additional information on contributing to this scholarship or on making other donations, contact the Lamar University Foundation at (409) 880-2117.

Contacts: Janice Trammell, Executive Director, Lamar University Foundation, (409) 880-8422 James Simmons, President (409) 880-8405 Brian Sattler, Director, Public Relations, (409) 880-8396 Written By: Dawn Katz, Public Relations Assistant, (409) 880-8965