The International Paper Bogalusa Mill has renamed its annual charity golf tournament in memory of the late John Willis, the mill’s purchasing manager for 58 years.

The fifth annual John Willis Memorial Classic, presented by the Bogalusa Mill for the benefit of United Way Southeast Louisiana, will be held Oct. 25 at Money Hill Golf Course. The tournament has raised more than $187,000 for local charitable causes since it began in 2014.

“John was a faithful employee of the Bogalusa Mill for 58 years,” said Bernie Chascin, mill manager. “He passed away last month after a short illness, but he left behind a legacy of hard work, dedication and a passion to make the Bogalusa Mill the very best that it can be. Renaming our charity golf tournament in his memory will provide a lasting legacy for his decades of commitment and loyalty.”

Willis served in the U.S. Army for four years before beginning his career at the Bogalusa Mill. He began there June 15, 1960, as a Forestry and Logging Division Purchasing Manager with Crown Zellerbach and Cavenham Forest Industries. In 1998, he became a Project Purchasing Administrator for Gaylord Container, and then the Purchasing Manager under Temple-Inland in 1999 and International Paper in 2012.

For tournament sponsorship information, call Kalisa Hyman, mill communications manager, at 985-732-8584.