2-Time RI Amateur Champion Stanton Van Abrams Passes Away
Two-time Rhode Island Amateur Champion Stanton Van Abrams passed away at his home in North Carolina last week.
Abrams won the Amateur in 1972 and 1975.
In 2011, he was inducted into the Rhode Island Golf Hall of Fame.
“We are sad to share that RIGA Hall of Famer and two-time RI Amateur champion Stanton Abrams has died. Abrams won the RI Amateur in 1972 and 1975. He was instrumental in forming the Senior Tour Players, Inc. Those ideas turned into the now Champions Tour,” said RIGA in a statement.
Obituary courtesy of Legacy.com:
ABRAMS, Stanton Van passed away peacefully at his home in Pittsboro, NC, lovingly comforted by family and birdsong in the early morning hours of April 28, 2021. Born in 1942, Stan grew up in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and spent most of his life in Brookline, Massachusetts before retiring to North Carolina.
Truly larger than life, Stan was the consummate entertainer, endearing to everyone around him with his radiant charm, joyful and quick-witted humor, and remarkable ability to make anyone feel special. Those lucky enough to have known Stan will always remember his immense love of family, generosity, and devotion to friends. Stan was his children and grandchildren’s biggest cheerleader, and provided endless support, encouragement, and unconditional love.
Stan’s parents, Pearl and Ben Abrams, were immensely proud of his accomplishments, of which there were many. A gifted athlete, Stan began his love of sports playing miniature golf every summer at Narragansett Pier, where he loved to swim as a boy. An all-state quarterback for Pawtucket West High School, Stan was captain of the football, basketball, and golf teams. In 1960 he was selected as the Rhode Island Jewish Athlete of the Year, and the Providence Journal-Bulletin Honor Roll Boy, an award given to the top student-athlete in the state. He received a scholarship to attend Harvard College, where he became captain of the golf team in 1963, and went on to win the Rhode Island Amateur Golf Championship twice, in 1972 and 1975. In 2011, he was inducted into the Rhode Island Golf Hall of Fame.
After graduating cum laude from Harvard, and later the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, Stan became involved in real estate development. In 1982, Stan formed Senior Tour Players, Inc. Working with Sam Snead, Doug Ford, and Bob Goalby along with many other Senior Tour golfers, he developed golf properties—among them Gleneagles Country Club in Delray Beach, the Badlands in Las Vegas, and Granite Links Golf Club in Quincy, Massachusetts.
Stan is survived by his devoted wife Kathy, whom he adored, his son Jeffrey, daughter-in-law Rebecca and grandchildren Max and Sam, daughter Lauren (“Loney”) and son-in-law Johnny Stanish, son Gregory and partner Emma D’Amato, sister Gail Deutsch and brother-in-law David, and many dearly beloved extended family members.
Friends and family are invited to a celebration of Stan’s life at 5pm on Thursday, July 8 at Granite Links Golf Course in Quincy, Massachusetts.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the not-for-profit organization Save the Bay, whose mission is to protect and improve Narragansett Bay through education, advocacy, and habitat restoration, and the Els For Autism Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by golfer Ernie Els that serves individuals with autism spectrum disorder.