Carol Russo Williams

Carol Russo Williams, age 74, a longtime resident of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away on July 11, 2018. She is survived by her loving husband of 50 years, Robert E. Williams, her brothers, Paul Russo and David Russo, and by numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Marguerite Russo, and by her brother, Richard Russo.

Carol was born in Troy, New York, on July 16, 1943 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Russell Sage College and later graduated with a Master of Science degree in Nutrition from the Graduate School of the University of Alabama.

She began her career as a dietitian in both the therapeutic and administrative areas at various hospitals and institutions. From 1974-1977, she worked for the Methodist hospital in Houston, Texas, to develop research diets and supervised the metabolic kitchen in conjunction with medical and research projects of Baylor Medical School. From 1977-1978, she was an Assistant Professor at Texas Woman’s University in Houston, Texas, where she taught courses that included Applied Nutrition, Nutrition in Medical Science, and Research in Clinical Dietetics. From 1979-1984, she worked for Anderson Clayton Foods Company as a Nutritionist/Food Scientist, where she coordinated all food product labeling across ten different departments.

Carol was passionate about books, and she amassed a large and diverse collection of books on a wide range of topics. She had a special interest in art books, particularly of the impressionist period. She attended book clubs whenever she could and truly loved the discussions and debates about the merits of different books and authors.

Keeping track of and in touch with family and friends--however far away--was a major part of Carol’s life. She thoroughly enjoyed finding just the right card or gift for every occasion, and then applying to the packaging her special decorating touch. She could often be found in the “staging room” of her house, gathering gifts, wrapping papers and ribbons to assemble and mail that very special present. Phone conversations to stay in touch were a hallmark of her life.

Carol was exceedingly fond of travel and generally took at least one “major” trip each year with her husband, Bob. Hiking the mountains of the national parks of the American West was probably her favorite endeavor, although she also cherished the occasional journey to international destinations such as England, France, Italy and New Zealand.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, July 28, 2018 at Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home on 660 Thompson Lane, Nashville, Tennessee. Visitation with friends and family begins at 1:30 pm followed by a Memorial Service at 2:30 pm. In keeping with Carol’s previous volunteer work with hospice, she would have suggested contributions to Alive Hospice, 1718 Patterson Street, Nashville, TN 37203 in lieu of flowers.