Rev. Willie T. Williams Jr.

Rev. Willie T. Williams, Jr., transitioned this life
Sunday, November 11, 2012 at his home in Stone
Mountain, GA with his family by his side. He was
born on February 26, 1932 in Jacksonville, Florida
and was preceded in death by his parents, Willie
Williams, Sr. and Sadie Beatrice Williams, as well
as siblings, Madeline A. Williams-Waldburg, Roy
Cobb Williams and Susie Mae Williams-Bean.
The family moved to Savannah, GA when Willie
was only three years old. His leadership skills soon
became evident when his peers repeatedly elected
him president of his class from grades 5 through 12.
At Beach High School, he became Senior Class
President of the June 1949 class, earning the titles of
Best All Around and Most Popular. He
matriculated to Savannah State University and
graduated with a B.S. in Mathematics and a minor
in Biology.
In 1950, Willie became a loyal member of SSU’s
Delta Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity,
Inc. and served as Vice President, then President,
respectively. ΑΦΑ is the first Black, Inter-
Collegiate Greek-lettered fraternity in America. He
later earned a Master of Education in Counseling at
Trenton State College now College of New
Jersey. Advanced study was done at Yeshiva
University, Lehman College and the State
University of New York at Albany. He received a
summer grant to study mathematics at the Illinois
Institute of Technology, and did further study at
New York Theological Seminary.
Rev. Williams served his country with the United
States Air Force and had many tours to Europe and
beyond. He was later stationed at Hunter Air
Force Base in Savannah, GA.
He taught mathematics in Beaufort, SC for three
years; retired from the Mount Vernon, NY School
System after 27 years, only to resume his passion for
teaching for 13 more years with the Cobb County
School System in GA until 2005. Other positions
held were Director of the Urban Center in
Manhattan with the State University of New York;
“A Man After God’s Own Heart”
Director of Economic Development &
Employment with the Urban League of
Englewood, NJ; Affirmative Action Officer of the
Mt. Vernon Board of Education; First Vice
President of the Mount Vernon Branch of the
NAACP; Associate Pastor of White Rock Baptist
Church of Mount Vernon, NY; President of the
Phalanx of African American Men, and Adjunct
Professor of Mathematics at Westchester
Cooperative College. He was Founder,
President/CEO of the A. E. Beach High National
Alumni Association, Inc., his much beloved alma
mater.
Willie has been the recipient of numerous awards of
excellence based on his performance as a
community activist, lecturer, organizer and
visionary. He has been an entrepreneur, jazz
musician, artist and a highly successful political
campaign manager.
Rev. Willie’s passion for life was captivating in that
people were drawn to his warm, spirited
compassionate personality. His love for lifting
people up was his ministry. There was no doubt in
anyone’s mind that he was a man overwhelmed with
a deep love and devotion to serving God. His
mantra for life was embossed in a leather key chain,
ITNOJ – In the Name of Jesus – worn on a
chain around his neck for any and all to see.
He leaves to mourn his passing a devoted wife of 46
years, Jacquelyn E. Mack Williams; one daughter,
Michele P. Williams Wells Roy; two sons, Willie
Williams III and Jacques-Morrell Mack Williams;
one sister-in-law, Norma J. Williams; one brotherin-
law, John R. Waldburg Florita; two nieces,
Cheryl S. Waldburg and Tabatha Williams Moore;
three nephews, Vincent Speights, Miles Williams
and Tahir Hemphill; father and mother-in-law,
Herman and Delores Mack; goddaughter, Jennifer
King; adopted daughter, Charlene Wilson;
adopted granddaughter, Bryanna Valentine;
adopted family, the Wilsons; a daughter of promise,
Pearl Denise Nichols; adopted brother, Romano
Johnson Era, and a host of family and friends.