Obituary for Jan Williams
Jan Williams, of Princeton, NJ and most recently, Maryville, TN, died of ALS, Sunday, September 16, 2012 at 6:30 a.m. EDT. Born January 21, 1945, in San Francisco, CA, the daughter of the late Colonel Bailey Arthur Williams, (USAF Ret.), and Theodora (Clapp) Williams, Jan left no survivors but many beloved friends. Her sole sibling, Steve, is deceased. After graduating from Blackford High School, San Jose, CA in 1962, she earned in 1970 her BS in Biology/Chemistry/Pre-Med from San Jose State University. She pursued immunochemistry and immunophysiology research at Cal Tech and Stanford, attended Graduate Medical School at Medical College of Pennsylvania, and in 1972 pursued schizophrenia biochemistry research in Princeton, NJ. Interest in data processing and operating systems ultimately led to a computer programming position at the New Jersey Department of Taxation. In the mid-1980s, Jan evangelized the Apple Macintosh, serving as president and newsletter editor for the Princeton Macintosh Users Group and helping operate an Internet-access trailer at Fort Dix, NJ to support Kosovo refugees. She also founded MouseCalls, a computer consultancy catering to seniors. She served the North Central New Jersey Chapter of Mensa as newsletter editor and on the International Executive Committee. Her Welsh heritage played a big role in Jan’s life leading her to participate in a variety of Welsh Society activities including the annual Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu festival and even to naming her service dogs Celyn and Gruffydd. A lifetime member of the Red Hat Society, with chapters worldwide including Wales, Jan regularly wore hats she decorated in a subtle fashion. Jan exemplified her commitment to service, in part, by her advocacy for the Americans With Disabilities Act, years as an unfailing platelets donor, and ultimately at Children’s Health Environmental Coalition where she was an early adopter of Internet technology and finally, the authoring of a book, Healthy Homefront, focusing on creating a child-safe home. Her congress of friends generously benefited from Jan’s remarkable ability to connect strangers who would, almost magically, develop meaningful relationships. A memorial service will be held at Smith’s The Life e Event Center, 1404 Tuckaleechee Pike, Maryville, TN, Saturday, September 29 at 5 p.m. Friends are invited to share dinner following the service. A second memorial service will be held early October, at All Saints Church, Princeton, NJ. In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made to Wilderwood Service Dogs, 1319 Tuckaleechee Trail, Maryville, TN 37803. Smith Funeral & Cremation Service, Maryville, 865-983-1000, www.SmithMaryville.com.
Obituary for Bailey A. WIlliams (1918 – 2003)
Bailey A. Williams, born January 27, 1918 in Pittsburg, KS, died of congestive heart failure Friday, July 18 at Kindred Hospital in Westminster. A 35-year resident of Corona del Mar, Bailey enjoyed a long and accomplished career in the military and aerospace industry. A decorated WW II fighter pilot who flew P38s and P51s over Nazi Germany, Bailey was able to coax seven badly damaged airplanes back across the English Channel before being forced to crash-land an eighth. He was soon captured, and while en route to a POW camp managed to escape when his train was bombed by Allied airplanes. Stealing his way back acrossEurope, he eventually hooked up with the Belgian underground and returned to England. Stationed in Wattisham, he completed 77, missions including the Battle of the Bulge and D-Day. His continued service in the US Air Force as a B-52 pilot also involved him in military action in Korea, and his training in high-altitude photography led to specializing in reconnaissance and electronic counter-measures. At the height of the Cold War, Maj. Williams served under General Curtis LeMay, head of the Strategic Air Command and later Air Force Chief of Staff, on the now-famous U2 project. He rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel and was Assistant Director of Intelligence for the Air Force Satellite Test Center in Sunnyvale, California. Following retirement from the Air Force in 1965, he was a Vice-President of North America-Rockwell’s electronic counter-measures division. While there, he was instrumental in the creation of the Wild Weasel, his proudest accomplishment, and was a member of the Society of Wild Weasels, as well as a Charter Member of The Association of Old Crows. His final project was the original Space Shuttle Columbia. Bailey was married for 38 years to Theodora, a graduate of Huntington Beach High, until her death in 1981. He was also married to Pat Terrin of Fountain Valley from 1986-1996. He is survived by a daughter, Jan Williams, of Rocky Hill, NJ, and a son, Steven B. Williams, of Corona del Mar who will be hosting a gathering of friends at Tommy Bahama’s in Corona del Mar on Sept 6 at 11 a.m. RSVPs can be left at (949) 644-2291.
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