Doris M Williams

Doris Marie, wife of the late Charles Kenneth Williams, is survived by their two children, Karen Jeanne (Williams) Bush and Gregory Charles Williams and his wife Deena Williams and their son Connor Gregory Williams. She was the mother-in-law of Karen’s husband, the late David Bush who passed in 2021 and their son Kevin Michael who passed in 1994. In 2007, she married the late John Headley of Wakefield, Rhode Island.

Born in Providence in 1923, the third of seven children of the late Virgil M. Powers and Bernadette A. (Duval) Powers. She was pre-deceased by her siblings Barbara, James (Jim), Edward (Ted), Robert, Beverly and Evelyn.

Doris Marie was born in Providence and attended school in Warwick eventually graduating from Aldrich High School in Warwick in the early 1940s. After graduating, during World War II, she sold war bonds at Quonset Point Naval Air Station. In 1945, she married her high school sweetheart, Charles Kenneth Williams. While raising her family, Doris worked as a secretary for the law firm of Mason & Winograd and later for Warwick mayor Gene McCaffery during his two terms in office. Following her work for Mayor McCaffrey, Doris worked as secretary to the chief of the Warwick Police Department and the Warwick Board of Public Safety until her retirement in 1985.

Before and after her retirement, Doris Marie enjoyed volunteering for her parish, St Peter’s Roman Catholic Church in Warwick, taking daily walks with her friends and discovering her talent for creating beautiful still life oil paintings. In 2005, she moved to Florida where she resided in the Villages until February of 2017.

In her later years, Doris Marie was challenged by memory issues. But the lapse in memory never took away her sweet and thoughtful disposition nor the love for those around her. Her daughter, Karen Bush and family would like to acknowledged the dedication of her caregivers Dorothy and Maxine from Home Instead of Lakeland, FL and the many friends who helped with the day-to- day necessities and whenever an emergency arose.

As Mother’s Day nears, it is only appropriate to honor and remember Doris Marie and all the mothers with us today and who have passed. As quoted in the Bible, Proverbs 31:31 "Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

Family and friends are invited to a Mass of Christian Burial on Thursday May 5, 2022 at 11:00am in St. Peter's Church, 350 Fair Street, Warwick followed by burial at the RI Veteran's Memorial Cemetery, Exeter, RI.

To honor Doris Marie and mothers everywhere, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association or to the charity of your choice.