Beechwood West, a Smith Mountain Lake neighborhood located off Hales Ford Road in Bedford County, recently renovated its community clubhouse and dedicated it to former longtime neighborhood resident Myra Guilliams. Guilliams, who was one of the first to purchase a home in the Beechwood West community, is credited with forming the neighborhood’s Homeowners Associations (HOA) in the late 1980s.
“She came to this community and said we needed to have a community representative to greet people when they moved in,” said longtime friend and neighbor Gail Urban. “She held the position for over 30 years.” Urban noted that Guilliams passed away in 2022.
Urban said that Guilliams helped develop a book that included the neighborhood’s covenants and bylaws that she provided to all new neighborhood residents. Additionally, she handed out keys to the clubhouse and kept track of keyholders, administered boat storage rentals, managed short-term rentals and worked with the community’s maintenance groups when it came to upkeep of lawns and snow removal. She also ensured the clubhouse was kept clean and stocked with supplies, ensured the bathrooms on the neighborhood’s beach were clean, etc…