Howard David Schoenfield

1957 - 2020

November 15, 1957 - July 8, 2020 Junior tennis legendHoward David Schoenfield, tennis player, died on July 8, 2020, due to complications from Covid-19. He was born in Fort Hood, Texas, November 15, 1957, while his father was serving as a US Military doctor. The family moved to Rochester MN, where at the age of eight, Howard discovered tennis and quickly became enamored of the game. Within a year, he was winning 12-and-under regional tournaments (often while also competing in the 14s division). Whether hitting with friends or coaches, drilling on the backboard, or playing cards in the clubhouse waiting for the rain to clear, Howard found a second home at the tennis courts. The three brothers, Howard, Mark, and Steve would spend long summer days there. His parents, Leslie and Nancy, rediscovered the game as well. Guided by Marv Hanenberger, Howard began playing national tournaments, winning his first singles, the USTA Hard Courts, and doubles, USTA Nationals (playing with Pem Guerry), in the 12s division in 1969, and garnering the Teeter Sportsmanship Award for the USTA Northern Section. On his twelfth birthday, he hit with the great Arthur Ashe, a story he recounted joyfully for a newspaper months later. That same year, he won both the 16s and 18s at the South Dakota Open.In the early 70s, the family moved to Beverly Hills, and Howard played on a legendary California high school State-championship team, winning the individual title by beating his friend and teammate, Perry Wright (who would go on to win it the following year) in the finals. He and Wright also teamed up to win the Boys 16s 1972 USTA Indoor Doubles Championships.Howard left BHHS for Rexford High School, and eventually earned his GED. He honed his singles and doubles abilities, winning a dozen USTA national titles and many other tournaments. In 1973, he won the Boys' 16s Clay Courts; two years later, the Boys' 18s Hard Courts. He was the number one ranked player for his age group both years. He was coached by some of the game's greats, including George Toley who admired his work ethic. Glen Bassett, at the time UCLA's head coach, noted he "has as good ground strokes as any junior in the world and mentally he plays the whole match." His fellow players fondly remember him both for his aggressive and artistic play and his kindness off the court in his younger days. Accompanying these successes, however, Howard was increasingly anxious and depressed. He was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia shortly after his mother's death by suicide in 1974 and developed a drug habit that he kicked only years after his tennis career ended. He also became leery of newspaper stories about him, and particularly hated publicity about his troubles. Despite his health issues, as an adult, Howard won a 1980 Grand Prix tournament in Tulsa Oklahoma, the hometown of his dearly loved Uncle Si. He achieved a world ranking of 68th and played both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. He worked as a touring pro for the Concord Hotel in the Catskills and competed on four continents as a professional as well as playing successfully in the Florida Penn circuit. The extent that tennis caused, contributed to, or became a refuge from his illness has been debated among friends and in articles about the stresses of sports, and even Howard took various positions on the question. At 17, he told a reporter, "I think tennis is the coolest sport there is…I like the pressure and the competition." After a particularly turbulent period, Howard resided in a half-way house in Hialeah. During this time, he had all but given up tennis when he was befriended by Phil Secada, who coaxed him onto the courts for some Florida Junior Legends tournaments he organized in the 1990s. Wanting very much to live independently, he settled in Miami Beach. Although seeking a secluded life, he did connect with family and with his devoted friends. In 2018, in consequence of a stroke, Howard moved into The Sands in South Beach. He still loved listening to Bob Dylan, whose poetic outlook resonated with his own. Two days before his death, by internet video he listened with Mark to "Blowing in the Wind." On the court and in his later years, he was, as poet William Wordsworth eulogized his brother John, "A Poet in everything but words." A memorial service in Los Angeles will be announced. Howard is survived and beloved by brothers, Steve and Mark, and his nephews and nieces, Joshua, Diana, Michael, Rae (Hannah), and Rachel.