John “Johnny” Franklin Williams, Sr. 67, of Avenue, MD passed away on July 10, 2021 at his home. He was born on January 13, 1954 in Leonardtown, MD and was the son of the late Ellen Dora Bean Williams and James Clark Williams, Sr. Johnny was the loving husband of Maria Jennings (Jenny) Williams, whom he married on November 9, 1974 in Medleys Neck, MD. Johnny is survived by his children J.F. Williams, Jr (Cindy) of Avenue, MD and Jennifer Kraft (Jeremiah) of Fredericksburg, VA, along with his grandchildren Payton Kraft, Ada Kraft, Cameron Kraft, D.J. Williams, and Jace Williams. He is also survived by his siblings Jimmy Williams of California, MD, Ellen Ball of Clements, MD, Janice Hammett of Park Hall, MD, Gary Williams of Hollywood, MD, Susan Redmond of White Point, MD, Joe Williams of Redgate, MD, Mary Garner of Hollywood, MD, Jack Williams of White Point, MD, Jackie Mays of Callaway, MD, Ronnie Williams of Leonardtown, MD, Patricia Howes of Bushwood, MD, and Karen Bailey of Leonardtown, MD. He was preceded in death by his sister Elizabeth Norris.
“Johnny”, as he was affectionately referred to, was a kind, caring, generous, and loving man who was blessed with an incredibly loving family and several friends. No matter the company, he always had a smile for everyone. When he got that little grin of his going, there was always a surprise in store. He was quick with his wit and even quicker with a joke and loved to make people smile and laugh. Johnny started his career as an electrician with Drury Electric where he worked for ten years. His career carried over to St. Mary’s Hospital where, after 33 years of faithful service, he retired in January of 2016. His hobbies included playing and managing softball for the Town Inn softball team and volunteering his time to coach little league baseball. He was an avid golfer for several years and accumulated several golfing buddies until his illness rendered him physically unable to play. Johnny’s one true passion was bluegrass music. He played the mandolin in the Spoon Creek Band and the Hump Day band. His talent and love for bluegrass blessed him with an additional and enormous family who enjoyed each time he came out to play. He always made time to travel across Maryland and Virginia to enjoy the outdoors and attend as many bluegrass festivals as he could. Johnny is survived by his adoring wife, Jenny, of 46 years of marriage, and his two children and two children-in-law, both of whom he loved unconditionally, his son, J.F. and wife, Cindy, and his daughter, Jennifer and husband, Jeremiah. No matter the day, no matter his mood, there was always a special place in his heart for his grandchildren. They could never do wrong in Pop Pop’s eyes. Johnny will be greatly missed by family – immediate, distant, and bluegrass – as well as his many, many friends.
The family will receive friends on Wednesday, July 14, 2021 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM with prayers recited at 7:00 PM in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD. A Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, July 15, 2021 at 10:00 AM in the Funeral Home Chapel with Deacon Ammon Ripple officiating. Interment will follow in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, MD. Serving as pallbearers will be J.F. Williams, Jr. Patrick Farrell, Donald Thompson, Brian Hammett, Steve Williams, and Darrell Williams. Honorary pallbearers will be Jimmy Williams, Gary Williams, Joe Williams, Jack Williams, and Ronnie Williams.
Contributions may be made to the Seventh Dist. Vol. Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 7, Avenue, MD 20609 and ACTS (A Community That Shares), P.O. Box 54, Bushwood, MD 20618.
