Mary Williams

MARY ELIZABETH WILLIAMS

Oct 6, 1924 to July 12, 2021

Mary Elizabeth was a college English teacher, a computer programmer, and an avid recorder player. She passed away at Belmont Village Senior Living in Nashville, TN.

Mary was the eldest of three children born to the Rev. Horace W. and Agnes Vaughan Williams. She was a lifelong learner who was devoted to education. She earned a bachelor of Music Education at Peabody College, an MA in Theology from University of Chicago, an MA in English from Northwestern University, and a doctorate in English from University of Wisconsin. She was a scholar of the works of W. H. Auden and wrote her dissertation on his opera libretti. For many years Mary taught English composition and business and technical writing as well as British and American literature, English Renaissance literature, Biblical literature, and speech. Mary was on the faculties of Murray State University, Walters State Community College and Aquinas Junior College.

Mary was a religious person with a strong sense of social conscience that she maintained all her life, believing that one shows faith through one’s works. She spent nearly three years as a welfare case worker in Chicago. Like her parents she was active in Belmont United Methodist Church during the years she lived in Nashville. Throughout her life she was a charitable person.

Mary was a person of amazing talents and abilities. At the age of 67 Mary began a complete career change and enrolled at Nashville State Technical Institute to learn to be a computer programmer. She became professionally adept in multiple languages and database setup and worked for the State of Tennessee and private computer firms for the next several years until she retired.

Mary loved music, mostly classical, and especially baroque and renaissance recorder music. She was a member of a recorder group for a number of years.

Mary Elizabeth is preceded in death by her parents and her two younger brothers Joseph M. and Horace E. (Weed) Williams. She is survived by her nieces, Janine Williams of Texas, Denise Garcia of Texas (husband Luis), Leslie A. Williams (Julio Ortega) of Texas, and Ellen M. Williams Smith (Jimmy) of Nashville; and by her nephew, John H. Williams (Donna) of Oklahoma.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday Sep 16 at 4:30 pm at Belmont United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to Nashville Public Television