Steve Scholar exemplifies the type of people I bring to you in my articles for the paper, a man who reaches out to all. Steve, you’re an amazing, unique person… you stand out from the crowd. I’m delighted to know you and call you my friend. 

This is a genuine man with a strong sense of meaning in his work, hobbies and home life. Steve is a man constantly working, participating in advancing, creating and bringing things together. 

Steve arrived in Richmond Hill in 1997 when he became general manager of the Richmond Hill-Bryan County News. He smiled when I asked him what appealed to him most about living in Richmond Hill. Without hesitation he said one of the things he likes most about living in Richmond Hill is its extensive history. His wife Barbara told me “We didn’t know about the relationship between Richmond Hill and Henry Ford until we moved here for Steve’s job. We were fascinated and wanted to be involved almost from the get go.”

Steve told me every place he’s lived, and there have been many because of his 20 years in the Air Force as a master sergeant. He studied the history and became active in each country and location where he was stationed. Steve loves travel. The Air Force gave him the opportunity to do that as well as get a bachelor degree in psychology and masters degree in counseling, spending 5 years in England, 3 years in Italy, 2 in Germany and 10 in the states. The Air Force afforded him a wonderful career, education and education for his children along with their education of the world that they wouldn’t have otherwise gotten.

Steve served as a public affairs officer doing PR, media relations and community relations for the Stars and Stripes, forerunners for his work in the newspaper business.

My editor at the Bryan County News, Jeff Whitten, has known Steve for a long time. Jeff used to work for him as a reporter when Steve was hired as an editor at the Effingham Herald in Rincon in the 1990’s.

“I was just starting out, he knew a lot, so I got a chance to learn from him.

He was a good editor and a good boss. I was fortunate to get the opportunity to work in the same newsroom.”

Years later in 2006 they met again when Steve had moved on, from newspapers, to working for Richmond Hill as the planning and zoning director and Jeff had become editor of the Bryan County News. “I liked Steve because he knew first hand the challenges I faced and was always helpful, plus, he pretty much knew the city government inside and out, so he was a great resource.”

Jeff told me he knew Steve had a love of antiques because he used to write “great columns” about it. He mentioned the convertible 1972 Cadillac Eldorado Steve owns, one Steve said he wanted “since he was a kid.”

Jeff Whitten told me “you know Steve’s coming when he’s in that car.”

I asked Steve to tell me about the car as we stood admiring it in his driveway.

“I’ve wanted one I could afford and finally found one about 20 years ago,” he said, “and I’ve been working on it ever since.”

Steve said he saw an Eldorado with horns on it when he lived in Texas and decided to try them on his vehicle With a quick smile he told me they’re easy to take off to be sure I knew he wouldn’t deface an antique!

Barbara, his wife, told me his interest in antiques was acquired as a child through his mother who collected antiques and was an antique dealer who loved and focused on Victorian glass and furniture. His latest project has been to take his garage and recreate it as a country store, Victorian store filled with incredible pieces he has collected and purchased through the years.

Steve worked full time as an educator in the school system with the special needs children which was extremely rewarding to him while at the same time he served as chairman of the Bryan County Planning Commission. Steve retired from planning and zoning for Richmond Hill in 2019, when he ran for City Council. He was elected, and recently announced his intention to seek another term.

When I asked Steve’s son Chris who is an assistant principal in the Richmond Hill high school about his father, he said “I can sum it up simply in just a few words, he cares.”

This is obviously a man who has always enriched the lives of others asking for nothing in return. His wife said this is a family man, an honest man, a loving man.

Thank you for sharing yourself Steve, so that I could write about your giving everywhere.

Georgene Brazer is chairwoman of the Richmond Hill Downtown Development Authority. She writes as semi-regular lifestyle column about people in the community she believes make it a better place to live. You can reach her at georgenebrazer@gmail.com.