Joan Hurn Williams

Joan was born in Thomasville, GA on June 17th, 1950. She was raised by loving parents William James Hurn and Mary June Worthington Hurn alongside her sister, Mary Catherine Hurn Page, in Perry, Florida. Her growing up years were ones that Joan always spoke of with great fondness and an abundance of family memories, however following high school Joan was eager to spread her wings and found herself drawn to another part of her home state. In 1968, Joan moved to Tampa, Florida to attend the University of South Florida for college. There, three years later, she graduated with a degree in Library Sciences. For the next thirteen years Joan enjoyed her career as a librarian, teaching students at a variety of local schools, including Dale Mabry Elementary, Sacred Heart, and H.B. Plant High School. She loved being a librarian, thoughtfully choosing which books to offer within the curriculum, and her voice would truly light up when she would recall all the people she met and the students she taught during this stage in her life. This was also a season wherein she developed many wonderful Tampa based friendships, which would bless her greatly throughout her lifetime. In 1984, Joan married J. Hulon Williams III, a lifelong Tampa resident. They joyfully began their lives together and soon welcomed both a daughter, Rosemary, and a son, J.H. Joan thrived as a wife and as a mother, lovingly dedicating her time and energy to her family. She was supportive of her husband as he worked hard to expand what is now a 100 year old family owned business in Tampa, J.H. Williams Oil Company Inc., and as he served in various leadership roles across both community and petroleum industry efforts. All the while, she encouraged her children to grow up to be strong individuals who would value the Christian faith, time with family, a commitment to diligence, education, and personal growth. In recent years, Joan gave the same devotion to her two grandchildren, nurturing them with wisdom and cheering them on with immense pride and joy. Over the years, Joan’s interests and hobbies ranged from studying Florida history, gardening, collecting antiques, sewing, reading, tending to Bible study, and home decorating. She was especially creative during the holidays, where her home came alive with warmth and beautiful, festive touches in every corner. However, her favorite hobby was genealogy. She enthusiastically traced multiple branches of both her and her husband’s family back many generations, recording dates, births, marriages, and deaths with great care. Joan was especially proud of her Florida heritage, documenting her ancestors’ arrival to the state back to six generations prior. While her heart was always happiest at home, Joan and Hulon did spend a significant time in the earlier part of their marriage, traveling to Europe with both friends and business associates. They also enjoyed spending time during the Summers in Cashiers, North Carolina, especially during the happy years when their children attended nearby summer camps. In daily life, Joan was a sweet and caring person who often said a spontaneous encouraging word to those around her. She found ways to bless those in need, often preferring to give anonymously to someone who was struggling rather than to donate toward a specific organization. Joan demonstrated an immeasurable effort of perseverance over the past five years as her physical health was confronted with Kidney Disease. During these years, she inspired countless people with her fighting spirit to live and overcome each and every setback. The Lord was truly glorified by the humble way she trusted Him throughout her many hospital stays and the often difficult recovery that would follow each visit. The doctors and nurses even commented on the remarkable, sometimes unbelievable ways she would recover from one medical challenge after another. Joan leaves behind a legacy of strength and a fierce love for life and family. She will one day be reunited with her loved ones who are still living, her husband of 41 years, J. Hulon Williams III, her daughter Rosemary Williams Anderson (husband Timothy G. Anderson Jr.), her son J.H. Williams IV (wife Audrey Williams), and her grandchildren Timothy G. Anderson III (13) and granddaughter Lacey Elizabeth Anderson (10). Joan’s life was blessed by dear friends all through her life, as well as a host of nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters-in-laws, cousins, and neighbors. Her life was also enriched by her close relationship with her sister, her parents, and many beloved aunts and grandparents who all passed before her. Her caregivers, Shalene Gill, Talesia Clark, and Marcy White, were a big part of Joan’s life in recent years, offering steady care, friendship, and loyalty. The Williams family thanks them for their unwavering support. Joan was a member of Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club, Tampa Yacht and Country Club, The Junior League of Tampa, several genealogy associations, and Hyde Park United Methodist Church. On Thursday, November 20th at 11 am a celebration of Joan’s life will be held at Hyde Park United Methodist Church. Please, in lieu of flowers, consider donating to either St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation or TGH Foundation.