Scott Aaron Katowitz

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Biography

17-YEAR-OLD JEWISH LEADER DIES FREAK ACCIDENT TAKES LIFE OF SCOTT KATOWITZ

Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Saturday, March 14, 1992 Friends and relatives expected great things from Scott Katowitz.

At 17, he was already a leader in Charlotte's Jewish community and planned to become a professional Jewish educator.

As president of the Temple Beth El youth group, he was the only teen on the temple's board of trustees. He had just organized a busload of 18 youths for a trip to the Mid-Atlantic Federation of Temple Youth conference starting today in Virginia Beach.

But the trip was canceled suddenly. Instead, those teens will attend Scott's funeral Sunday.

Scott Katowitz died Friday from severe brain injuries suffered in an accident Wednesday in the parking lot at Providence High School. He was a junior there and a member of the varsity football and track teams.

The accident happened after school, when his car wouldn't start. He asked some friends for a jump start. They agreed, and he hopped on the trunk of their car for the short jaunt across the parking lot. When the car turned right, he fell, hitting his head on the asphalt. 4 months ago

Mitch Katowitz It was a very freak accident, said family friend Sue Neidlinger, fighting tears Friday morning. This boy is so special. One of his last acts was to build a booth for Sunday's Purim carnival at the Jewish Community Center. It's a bean-bag throwing game, painted with the face of the evil, bearded biblical villain Hamen, his eyes and mouth cut out to catch the bean bags.

"Scott's contemporaries will be working the carnival, which is what Scott would want," said Rabbi Robert Seigel of Temple Beth El V'Shalom.

But 45 minutes after the celebration, hundreds of people will gather in the same room for Scott's funeral. Seigel will give the eulogy, quoting from one of the poems Scott often wrote about his ideals, his feelings, his hopes. This one was found, stuffed in the pocket of his new black and gold letter jacket, on the day of the accident.

Joel Goldman, education director at Temple Beth El, said dozens of teenagers have come to him, grieving. They ask me, How can we be Jewish teenagers without Scott Katowitz?"

Parents of the temple's sixth-grade religious education students, for whom Scott was a teacher's aide, also called, telling me that their kids are devastated. 4 months ago

Mitch Katowitz He had an intense joy of life, Goldman said. He was always involved. He was at the center of all youth activities. The kids just naturally gravitated to him.

Scott was a self-starter and a hard worker. Jim Seacord, Providence's head football and track coach, said Scott made himself a good athlete by his hard work.

After a 2-1/2-hour football practice in the hot August sun, when other players might have sat in the shade waiting for a ride home, Scott would be on the field, repeating the day's drills, Seacord said. But he could also be controversial, Goldman said. Recently, when the temple decided that members had to be 18 years old to vote on congregational matters, Scott disagreed.

He put together a documented response, quoting Talmudic and biblical sources, about why from the age of 13, when we have our bar mitzvah, we're considered full members of the community, Goldman said. He just did it. That's a 17-year-old. The kid was brilliant.

Survivors include his parents, Mitchell and Beverly Katowitz of Charlotte; his brother, Eric; maternal grandparents, Herman and Mary Rosen of New York; and paternal grandmother, Lillian Katowitz of near Miami. 4 months ago

Mitch Katowitz Visitation is at the parents' home before and after the funeral at 3:45 p.m. Sunday at the Gorelick Room in the Jewish Community Center, 5007 Providence Rd. McEwen Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Sources

• Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - Saturday, March 14, 1992