THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 4, 1994 TAG: 9412020214
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 28 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: The Sports Editor's Column
SOURCE: Lee Tolliver
LENGTH: Long : 101 lines
FOR A FEW SHORT hours, the world was red and black.
At no time have the Salem High colors held more meaning than Tuesday afternoon, when nearly 1,000 friends and relatives crammed Virginia Beach United Methodist Church to pay their last respects to Dr. Ramona Boone Stenzhorn.
Stenzhorn, 52, died of a heart attack the day after Thanksgiving. She had been doing something she loved when she passed away - holiday shopping in Northern Virginia with her sister Juanita Wisman.
Her death sent shock waves through Salem and the entire school system.
Stenzhorn was a uniquely special woman - one that Virginia Beach City Public Schools can be immensely proud of.
One that Salem High surely is.
Stenzhorn became the principal at Salem in 1991, and the school has been all the better ever since.
The place was her home, the faculty and students her family. She was everywhere, it seemed. In the halls, in the classrooms, in the gym and on the playing fields.
There were times when I would have sworn there were two of her.
She was Salem's No. 1 cheerleader - a role she played to the hilt with sometimes zany attire, banners, plaques, photographs, awards and anything else she could come up with to promote her beloved Sun Devils.
One of her proudest moments came last winter in Charlottesville when Salem brought home Virginia Beach's first girls basketball state title.
Stenzhorn was there in all her glory - leading the charge as the team's sixth player.
The evening before the title game, she hosted a team dinner for players and families at her hotel. While not extravagant, the dinner was typical of Stenzhorn's reputation for going the extra mile to make things special for anybody associated with the school.
``She was so much a part of our team,'' coach Larry Bowman said. ``She had more school spirit than anybody at the school.''
That is probably the way she will be most remembered.
``It was a trademark of hers,'' Salem student activities coordinator Mark Harrison said. ``The cosmetic things she did to promote the school. And when it came to financial and logistical support, she went out of her way to get the extra things done for the athletes and coaches.''
Mind you, it wasn't only athletics she supported. It was anything and everything to do with the school.
On the Salem Wall of Fame, there are photographs of athletes beside band members who have made the all-state band.
``She made a point of pointing out accomplishments of her faculty and student body,'' Harrison said. ``No level of accomplishment was too low for her to acknowledge.''
Stenzhorn left her mark on nearly everyone who ever came in contact with her - from teachers to parents, from secretaries to students - even media types.
As Green Run principal and close friend Dr. Donald Stowers said in his endearing eulogy, Stenzhorn liked to let you know she was around. But what she loved more than anything, Stowers said, was being in contact with the students.
``As much as she loved to work with the staff and the central office, and as much as she loved to trouble-shoot and solve problems that affected all of us, when she watched the kids perform in a play or in a game, she was experiencing joy,'' said Stowers, whose association with Stenzhorn started in 1989 as one of her assistant principals at Virginia Beach Junior High.
``That was the most fun part of the job for her, being with the children.''
Yes, Stenzhorn touched the hearts of everyone she associated herself with. We all have our memories of her and how she affected our lives.
One Friday during the football season, she called my office to see if I was covering the Salem game that evening. I told her I was, but I was running late and might not get a chance to chat.
When I got to the game, it was raining and I rushed to the press box to get ready for the action. There, with my name on it, was a fried chicken dinner and a note telling me to take a few minutes to relax and eat some dinner before getting down to business.
She always had a hug and a kiss for me, along with a smile and a slick comment about our friendship.
As Stowers said, she loved to say the most outrageous things at the most inappropriate times.
I noticed the things she did for Salem, as did most everybody that ever walked the school's halls. And this winter, when I enter the gym for the first time to cover a basketball game or a wrestling match, I will miss her greetings and the little things she did.
But that is life and death, and I am thankful I was blessed with the chance to know Dr. Ramona Stenzhorn. MEMO: Got an interesting sports-related story to tell. If so, call The Beacon
at 490-7228 and let us know about it, or write to The Beacon, Sports
Department, 4565 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach, Va. 23462. The
fax number is 490-7235.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff file photo by CHRISTOPHER REDDICK
Dr. Ramona Boone Stenzhorn, energetic principal of Salem High
School, died of a heart attack the day after Thanksgiving. She is
pictured here in her swimming pool cabana.
by CNB