James Williams

James Williams, age 83, graduated from this life unexpectedly on Saturday afternoon, February 10, 2018 at his home in Madison, Alabama in the presence of his wife. He died of natural causes. He was born in Huntsville Alabama on Saturday, December 15, 1934 to Ovenia Williams, and was her only child. He started earning money at a young age – shining shoes, running errands, selling out-of-town newspapers, delivering groceries, and doing odd jobs. Seeing no future for himself in Huntsville, he quit school at the age of 15 to work. He met his father William Clemens for the first time when he was 15, and at age 16 he chose to move to Cleveland Ohio to live with his father where he hoped to find a better future for himself. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was inducted on June 27, 1954 at the age of 19, and he saw the world. Courtesy of the Air Force, he served in six foreign countries – Japan, Germany, Turkey, the Philippines, Viet Nam, and Thailand and has lived in seven states – Alabama, Ohio, New York, Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Indiana. While serving with the Air Force he was able to earn his GED and attained a high enough score to get an Alabama high school diploma in 1978. He furthered his education and earned his Associates degree in Accounting from Franklin University in Columbus Ohio in 1984. He earned his Bachelor degree in Occupational Education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1986. He was active in the Masons, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Cancer Society Advisory Board, and the Franklin County Rehabilitation Center Speakers Bureau. After his honorable retirement from military service he served as an Administrator for the State of Ohio public utility commission. He was a card-carrying member of the Hug Club, and gave out hugs wherever he went to those who wanted a hug. He is survived by his beloved wife of almost 12 years Linda R. Williams, his daughters Gwendolyn Daniels and Regina Williams of Cleveland Ohio, 6 grandchildren, and 7 great grandchildren, all living in Cleveland Ohio. And since he thought of Linda’s family as his own, he has an additional daughter Maria Kil and son Scott Kil both of Madison Alabama and another 4 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, several half-brothers including Hollis and Marvin Clemons of Huntsville Alabama, and his son James E. Williams (also known as Abdul Rashid) of Cleveland Ohio. James will be remembered as a caring and loving gentle giant of a man with a strong testimony of his Savior Jesus Christ, who deeply loved his family and served others. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 11 AM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1297 Slaughter Road, Madison, Alabama. The family will greet friends on Friday, February 16, 2018 from 6-8 PM, at the Spry Funeral Home, 2411 Memorial Parkway, Huntsville, Alabama and again at 10 AM before the funeral service at the Church. He will be buried at Faith Memorial Park, 8100 Madison Boulevard, Madison, Alabama.

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