October 16, 1934 – April 20, 2026
Wilhelmenia “Willie” Williams, a woman of quiet strength, unshakeable grace, and boundless love, passed away peacefully on April 20, 2026, at the age of 91.
Born on October 16, 1934, in Greenwood, South Carolina, to John Henry and Jessie Smith, Wilhelmenia grew up with nine brothers and sisters in a family that knew hard work and the value of perseverance. From an early age, she set her sights beyond the cotton fields of her youth, determined to find her way to a profession. With nursing as her calling, she traveled to Columbia, South Carolina, to complete her training — navigating a racially segregated program with the same quiet resolve that would define her entire life. She graduated in 1956.
In 1957, she married the love of her life, Command Sergeant Major Thomas E. Williams. Together they built a life that spanned continents, military postings, and decades — following Thomas’s Army career from posting to posting before planting roots in Spokane, Washington, in 1973. Wilhelmenia worked as a nurse at Fairchild Air Force Base until a stroke in the 1980s brought her nursing career to a close. In retirement, she became something even more essential — the anchor of her family and the quiet force behind the people around her.
A lifelong woman of faith, Wilhelmenia lived her beliefs not through words but through presence. She was simply there — at every event, every late editing session, every moment of crisis — steady and grounding for all who knew her. Her daughter Sandy Williams became one of Spokane’s most celebrated civil rights leaders, founder of The Black Lens newspaper and the Carl Maxey Center. Her son Rick founded a national consulting firm and served as a philanthropy executive, creating opportunities for underserved communities across the country. Both would tell you the same thing: we learned leadership and grace from our father; we learned fortitude and persistence from Mom.
Her grandchildren knew her as “Grandma Willie” — a woman of strength, and joy that loved to tell a good joke. As her granddaughter Renika once said, “She comes with so much history of achieving and walking through fire.” She was no-nonsense but still full of warmth. Her grandchildren could count on the nightly song and dance in the kitchen after dinner — a chorus of “I Love You a Bushel and a Peck” — and her daily reminder: “I love you more.”
Wilhelmenia was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas E. Williams; her daughter, Sandra “Sandy” Williams; her parents, John Henry and Jessie Smith; her brothers, James, John, Frank, Theodore, and Tyrone Smith; and her sisters, Mattie Gold and Jessie Rogers.
She is survived by her son, Rick Williams (Barbara) of Arroyo Grande, California; her granddaughter, Renika Williams (Andrew) of Los Angeles, California; her granddaughter, Rachel Williams (Tristan) of Seattle, Washington; her grandson, Adrian Williams (Clare) of Santa Clara, California; and her brothers, Benjamin and Jacob Smith.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Holy Temple Church of God in Christ, 806 W. Indiana Ave, Spokane, Washington 99205. A second memorial will be held in Greenwood, South Carolina, for her East Coast family members; date to be determined. Wilhelmenia will be interred at Washington State Veterans Cemetery alongside her beloved husband, Thomas.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the Carl Maxey Center (carlmaxeycenter.org) and/or The Black Lens (blacklensnews.com), in honor of the legacy she helped build.
She didn’t talk about what she was doing or how she was doing it. She just lived it.