Mary Frances Williams was born on May 23, 1949 in Monticello, Georgia to Nathaniel and Bennie Grace Allen. She passed away November 21, 2017 at Hospice of Charles County in Charles County, Maryland.
Mary Frances graduated in 1971 from Clark Atlanta University. She received her juris doctorate degree from University of Oklahoma Law School in 1982. After earning her law degree she worked as an assistant attorney general for the state of Oklahoma and later practiced law for the federal government with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Her career eventually led her to a job placement in Washington, D.C., where she worked until retirement for the federal Department of Labor.
While at undergraduate college in Atlanta, Georgia, Mary Frances met and married her husband of 46 years, retired Air Force Captain Clarrance Williams, who was then attending Morehouse College. The couple helped each other to pursue their educational and career goals, relocating several times for Clarrance’s many Air Force assignments and for Mary Frances’ law career.
Outside of her professional career, Mary Frances was a long-time and active soror of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and was honored by the sorority for her dedicated service in 2014. In addition to community service, Mary Frances was an artist with a portfolio of landscapes and still life paintings as well as many sewn and hand-crafted art pieces.
Both high-striving and highly giving, Mary Frances was known by all those who were close to her as a warm motherly guiding force who used her skills and her wealth of knowledge to help others around her to advance themselves and to better their lives.
Her cancer diagnosis in 2016 came as a devastating shock and she struggled with the decision to keep her battle private as she hoped to beat the odds. Her tremendous courage and even humorous non-chalance in the face of her illness helped her and her caregivers to push onward until the Lord felt her work in this life was done. She will be greatly missed and warmly remembered by all of her family and friends.
Mary Frances is preceded in death by her father Nathaniel Allen and her sister Gail Farley. She is survived by her husband, Clarrance Williams; her son, Dr. Rodrick Williams; her daughters, Ramona and Kissa Williams; and four grandchildren. She is also survived by her mother, Mrs. Bennie Grace Farley; her sisters, Josephine Derricho and Gwendolyn Farley; her brothers, Benjamin Allen, Winfred Farley, and Eddie Farley, Jr.; and by many loving family and friends.
Funeral Services will be in Georgia at a later date.
