By Laura Orr
Photos courtesy of Williams Family

“Growing up with an island” is something Sydney Williams says he wouldn’t trade for anything.  Born in the small town of Roseboro in Sampson County in November 1944, Sydney says he came to the beach with his dad before he could walk.  His earliest childhood memory is “fishing with my dad and Uncle Jamie in front of the old ‘Cracker Box’ in Surf City.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sydney’s dad and his brother owned four Ford Mercury dealerships in northeastern NC and sold them in 1953.  Shortly afterwards, Sydney was diagnosed with asthma and his parents were told they either needed to move to the desert or the coast to help him.   In September 1953, the Williams’ family—Sydney, his parents, Myrtise and Herbert, and his younger brothers, Hiram and Mark—moved to Topsail Beach.

        (Below) - Sydney and Mary

“As soon as we moved to the beach, Dad built the Topsail Motel,” said Sydney.  Topsail Motel was the first “modern” Florida-style motel on the island.  “We opened the motel to the public in June of 1954, and then I worked.”  He laughed.  “I learned how to do everything but electricity, including plumbing, painting buildings, public relations, laundry, etc., anything Dad needed help with.  Being in the motel business taught me how to interact and deal with people from every walk of life.  That has been an invaluable experience that has helped me tremendously throughout my lifetime in everything I have done.”

 (Right) - Topsial Island Fishing Club's 1st President.

From the time Sydney was nine until he graduated from high school, he lived, breathed, and thoroughly enjoyed his life at the beach.  He surf-fished religiously, duck hunted in the winter with his dad, worked as first mate on the local party boat, and drove a beach buggy on the beach and in the sand to work each day.  “Life was good growing up with the island as a kid,” he said, “and that’s a claim which few people have rights to.”

It seems that Sydney has always been in business.  When he was twelve, his dad had to go away to take care of his ailing father, so Sydney and Hiram, who was nine, ran the Topsail Marina which his dad opened in ’56, while his mother ran the motel. 

“We took care of everything from the bait, tackle, wet and dry boat slips, the eight charter boats that ran out of the marina, as well as the money.  It was a big job for a couple of nine-and-twelve-year-old brothers, but at the time, it’s just what we did because it had to be done.  That’s another one of those experiences that I wouldn’t trade for anything,” he said, “because it taught me how to work hard and well with my brother at a very young age.” 

(Left) - Mayor of Surf City 1977

Sydney graduated from Topsail High School in ’63, and continued his education at Wake Forest where he graduated in biology.  His parents sold the motel in ’65 and moved to Florida to retire.  Sydney then attended the University of South Florida where he graduated with honors and a degree in business.  After graduation, he immediately moved back to Topsail and opened Action Inc. in Holly Ridge.  Action Inc. stayed in Holly Ridge until 1971 when it moved to its current location on the causeway in Surf City.  Hiram joined Sydney in the real estate business in ’73, and now the brothers jointly own Century 21 Action, which handles sales and rentals, Action Construction, and Action Kitchen and Bath.

                                                                               Action, Inc. opened in 1973

Along with the businesses, Sydney’s other endeavors have included:  being the first president of the Topsail Island Fishing Club, the first president of the Chamber of Commerce, owning half of the Surf City Pier for three years, being the Mayor of Surf City from 1977-78, and being on the Topsail Beach Board of Commissioners from 1978 to 1982.  He was busy, but that’s what he liked…..and still does!

In 1981, Sydney married Mary, and in July they will celebrate their 26th anniversary.  “Mary and her family were real estate customers of mine from Georgia, so that’s how we met.” 

Judged hunt tests all over USA

Mary, like Sydney, loved dogs and the outdoors, and soon Sydney had introduced her to duck hunting, fishing, and everything else he did.  Their love of dogs grew, and particularly their interest in Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.  In 1988, they opened High Tide Kennels, where Mary professionally trained retrievers for both duck hunting and competitive AKC hunt tests.  This created the opportunity for Sydney to judge hunt tests all over the country, including the American Kennel Club’s Master Nationals in Texas in 2005.  Sydney and Mary have since opened the Canine Beach Club off of Highway 210, and although they have retired from the judging and professional training, they still enjoy duck hunting and competing with their own dogs in hunt tests.

Topsail Motel opened in 1954

Sydney has been, in his words, “semi-retired” for about five years now, though I don’t believe he will ever really “retire” in the sense that most people think of it.  “I still love duck hunting, fishing, working with the dogs, gardening, and doing everything else I can,” he said.  And believe me, he does!

“Though the island has changed, I still love it and its people like I always have, and I can’t think of anything that could have been better in life than growing up with an island!”