Obituary of Walter Williams Sr

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LIFE STORY
Walter Richard Williams Sr., the son of Richard and Willie Mae Williams, was born in Leesville,
South Carolina on April 12, 1940 , at home with a midwife present. He moved to Camden NJ
with his family at the age six. Walt was educated in the Camden School System as he attended
Stevens Elementary school and from there Burroughs Junior High. Walt became a proud
graduate of Camden High School Class of 1958. After high school, Walt landed a job at
Stommell retail store in Camden and the leather factory. It was also during this time Walt,
began to court his high school sweetheart Dolores Hubbard, who became his beaming bride
in 1960 and through their union they became the proud parents of six exceptional children.
Walt changed careers and became a forklift driver at Fiberglass company in Somerdale, NJ,
where he was a faithful and diligent worker for twenty one years. Fiberglass was relocating
their employees and letting many go but because of Walt’s exceptional work ethics he was
given the option to relocate but it would not be an ideal option for him because he did not
want to uproot his family and move to another state. Walt made a fearless move to leave
Fiberglass after a twenty one year stay and to start all over again with a new occupation. After
leaving Fiberglass he shortly landed a job working for the Board of Education. Walt was giving
a number of employment options with the Board of Education, Security being one but he did
not want any job that would cause stress. He decided he would play the background and
became a Maintenance worker. Which he would soon find out that this was one of the most
important jobs with the Board of Education even though it is not praised. The maintenance
person is the first one in the building and the last one to leave and without them schools
could not function. He also found himself being a father figure and positive Afro American
Male role model for many of the student body at his school the Riggs Center and the Riggs
Center/Med East school. Walt again was an exceptional worker with the Board of Education
for twenty five years and retired in 2009.
In the early eighties, Walt was diagnosed with type two diabetes that was controlled with
medication but mainly through prayer. He would later experience hypertension that led to a
stroke in 2009. Which led him to have to have a quadruple bypass in 2010, in which he
miraculously bounced back from.
Walt, would go on to continue enjoying his new home that was purchased in 2007, in the
suburban area of Pennsauken NJ. He enjoyed landscaping his property and having family
dinners on a regular basis. Again, he was a committed father and husband for 57 years.
Walt’s spiritual journey began when he was a little boy he attended church with his
grandmother. He strayed from the church as he got older and would not return until his later
years in life. Walt began to occasionally attend Bright Light of Christ Church, that was founded
by Pastor Dolores Williams, his wife. Pastor Dolores Williams dissolved Bright Light of Christ
in in 2009 but the family continued to fellowship in a house church for a few years. Until
Walt’s youngest daughter, Pastor Kim Williams, felt a call on her life to birth Fresh Oil Worship
Center was Incorporated in 2015. Walt became a member of Fresh Oil Worship Center, in 2015
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and has been actively involved in the church up until his home going on May 25, 2017. He
served as an usher and was faithful to prayer meetings, bible study, Sunday school and loved
singing worship music. Walt confessed Jesus Christ, as his Lord and Savior and began to
experience a relationship with God and his life was metamorphosed slowly but surely and
God’s grace prevailed in his life even to the end. May he rest in peace for an eternity.
Walt will always be remembered for his great wisdom, calm temperament and welcoming
smile as soon as you enter his front door.
Walt was preceded in death by his mother and father Richard and Willie Mae Williams;
Brother Samuel Williams; son Rodney Williams and grandson Tancy Williams. He leaves to
cherish memories his wife Dolores Williams, Pennsauken NJ; sons Kevin (Antoinette)
Williams, North Carolina; Walter (Norma) Williams, Pennsauken NJ; Sherri (Darnell) Roberts,
Bridgewater NJ; Via (Richard aka Bo) Brown, Camden NJ; Kim Williams, Pennsauken NJ. ; 12
grand children and 13 great grand children and 1 great-great grandchild: siblings: Tina (Roger
deceased) Wilmer; Leon (Josephine) Williams; Charles Williams (girlfriend Diane Brittingham) and host of nieces, nephews,
cousins, in-laws and friends.
Sorrowfully submitted,
The Family