Family, friends honor pickleball player with plaque

Cecilia “Ceci” Williams places a plaque at the base of a donated tree in honor of her father, Scott Williams, at the pickleball courts at Laketown Township Hall, 4338 Beeline Road, on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025.

Cecilia “Ceci” Williams hugged family and friends before installing a memorial plaque in honor of her father Scott Williams on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at the base of a maple tree near the pickleball courts at Laketown Township Hall, 4338 Beeline Road.

The tree was planted on Oct. 1 to remember Scott Williams who passed away on March 11.

Sam Ferlito helped organize the memorial tree and plaque paid for by donations.

He thanked the contributors.

“It was a long process, but we got it done,” he said, “but we finally got ‘Snakeman’ his shade.”

Check out a video of the event here.

Pickleball players pause to remember Scott Williams after a plaque was installed in his honor at the base of a donated tree at the pickleball courts at the Laketown Township Hall, 4338 Beeline Road, on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Those in the picture are: Sam Ferlito, Leo Gonzalez, Skip Williams, Cecilia Williams, Dave Melloti, Tim Williams, Kerry O’Donoghue, Barry Splenger, Brad Adamson and Jeff Draves.

Williams, whose nickname was “Snakeman,” would often play pickleball at the township site and would always say the area needed some shade.

Donations from the pickleball group paid for the tree from West Olive Nurseries and the plaque. Heavener Property Services of Saugatuck donated the labor and equipment to plant the tree. There was no cost to the township.

The Laketown Township Parks and Recreation Commission approved the planting and tree variety.