Southeastern Dedicates the Ty Williams Memorial Pavilion
Chad Burchett | April 18, 2023
On April 18, Southeastern Seminary dedicated the Ty Williams Memorial Pavilion in honor of Ty Williams, son of Associate Vice President for Facilities Travis Williams, who went home to be with the Lord in 2020.
“I am excited about the addition of the Ty Williams Memorial Pavilion to the campus,” commented Ryan Hutchinson, executive vice president for operations at Southeastern. “It is an opportunity to honor the memory of Ty and express our love and appreciation for the Williams family and their service to Southeastern. The pavilion is going to be a place where students can enjoy Southeastern’s beautiful campus and fellowship with one another.”
The Ty Williams Memorial Pavilion, an outdoor gathering space adjacent to Stealey drive, is designed to complement Southeastern’s beautiful campus and facilitate Great Commission conversation, study, and fellowship. Completed earlier this month, the pavilion features open landscaping; a fountain; covered space; and ample seating for study, fellowship, and events.
The pavilion is named after Ty Williams, who tragically died at the age of eleven on November 12, 2020. Filled with curiosity and a love for God’s creation, Ty enjoyed meeting new friends on Southeastern’s campus, spending much of his time playing in the area that is now the site of the pavilion dedicated in his honor. The pavilion celebrates Ty’s lasting legacy of love for others and for God’s creation, inviting the Southeastern family and surrounding community to reflect on the preciousness of God’s abiding love in Christ.
During today’s ceremony President Danny Akin presented Liz and Travis Williams with a framed resolution approved by Southeastern’s board of trustees, celebrating the life and legacy of their son Ty. Liz and Travis were joined by their extended family; church family; as well as Southeastern students, faculty, and staff.
“We just want to say thank you,” Travis shared during the ceremony. “There are so many people that made contributions to this project, and there are so many here that love our boy. Our prayer is this place would go a long way in making Jesus known, making him loved in the hearts of people. That is the greatest honor we could ever receive. In this place, we pray that you have gospel conversations, that you invite people who don’t know anything about the gospel, and that you make much of our Lord Jesus Christ.”