Reflections of a Life Well Lived

Surrounded by family, music, and with prayer, Marion Elizabeth Freeman Williams was called home on the morning of July 6, 2023.

Marion was born September 8, 1929, in Orange, New Jersey to Stella Brown and Robert Freeman.  She was raised in a household of strong and determined women.  The importance of family, faith, education, and hard work were instilled in her from an early age, and she carried those values with her throughout her accomplished life.

Marion attended the public schools of Orange, New Jersey, where she excelled both academically and athletically, graduating Cum Laude from Orange High School in 1947.  She was Salutatorian of her class and was voted "Best Orator" and "Best All Around" by her peers.  She was recognized as having a beautiful soprano/alto singing voice, and during this time, developed a strong interest in and love of choral music.

Her academic excellence earned her a full scholarship to Fisk University which opened her pathway to higher education.  She enrolled in Fisk's five-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program which, at that time, included training at Meharry Medical College. It was at Meharry that she met her future husband, Dr. Anderson J. Williams, Jr. and at Fisk, where she pledged to her beloved Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.  She remained active in this sisterhood for over 73 years, serving as the local chapter President from 1965 through 1966.

After her graduation from Fisk, the newlyweds moved to Kansas City, Missouri where they started their family. Marion gave birth to her first three children, Anderson, III, Richard, and Harold.  During this time, she also received a Master's Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Missouri.

In 1960, Marion and her family moved to Winston-Salem when her husband accepted the position of Chief Pathologist at Kate Bitting Reynolds "Katie B." Memorial Hospital.  Now firmly rooted in Winston-Salem, they chose to expand their family with the birth of a fourth son, Kenneth, and a long-awaited daughter, Michelle.

During the Civil Rights struggles of that time, Marion was an outspoken advocate for racial equality, particularly in the areas of education, politics, and the fine arts.  Often in attendance at City Council, School Board, and Arts Council meetings, she is remembered as being an eloquent and forceful voice for change.

A trailblazer in helping to integrate the city's fine arts scene, Marion was active with the Winston-Salem Symphony, the Arts Council, and the Singers Guild (the choir that would eventually become the Winston-Salem Symphony Chorale). She served on the Boards of all three organizations. In earlier years, Marion was involved with the Community Players Guild, and later, the Winston-Salem Little Theatre where she performed in several musical productions. She also sang in the choir of every church she belonged to, including most recently Centenary United Methodist Church.

She joined Jack and Jill of America, Inc., an organization that enabled more social, cultural, and educational interaction for her children, and exposed them to volunteer service and civic duty. Marion believed in, upheld, and practiced these principles her entire life. She became a charter member of The Holiday's Inc.,- a bridge club founded in Winston-Salem that has now grown to become a national organization.

Marion's second Master's degree, from Columbia University, was in Education (Nursing Education, Curriculum, and Instruction). Her true passion was an educator, registered nurse, and professor of nursing.  She taught and trained nurses at the University of Missouri, Winston-Salem State University, Duke University, North Carolina Central University, East Carolina University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At the University of Rochester, she served as a liaison to Monroe Community Hospital as a Psychiatric Nurse Clinician where she developed and helped implement Psychiatric Care Plans for the residents.  Following retirement, she often worked as a substitute schoolteacher in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Public School System.

Marion was preceded in death by her mother and father; sisters, Phyllis Velez and June Holmes; and brothers, Ralph Miles and Richard Andrews.

She leaves behind her children, Michelle E. Williams, Kenneth P. (Patrick) Williams, Harold A. (Karin) Williams, Richard G. (Jeff) Williams, and Anderson J. Williams, III; grandchildren, Jonathan, Sarah, and Joshua Williams; brother, Edward (Vivian) Peart; cousins, Delores McPherson and William (Renee) Brown; nieces, Lisa Peart and Charlotte Olla; nephews, David (Bernetta) Roberts, Marc (Elizabeth) Peart, and Danny (Laura) Andrews; grand Godchildren, Corey, Caleb, and Jesse Williams; and a host of additional beloved nieces and nephews.

Memorial services will be held at 11:00am Saturday, September 23, 2023 at Centenary United Methodist Church, 646 W. 5th Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101