Nancy Lynn Williams

A long life! A good life! A blessed life! An apt description of the life of Nancy Williams, born Nancy Lynn Crawford, March 2, 1943, dying of cancer on October 10, 2023. Simply living a long time does not ensure that one’s life was lived well. Nancy indeed lived a good, long life. As a result, she was greatly blessed, by the Lord she loved, by family who adored her, and by a large number of friends who cherished her.

Nancy was born in Long Beach, California but was raised and went to school in Garden Grove. She is preceded in death by her mother Evelyn and her father Howell. She is survived by her husband Sam of 60 years, her children Ryan and Sandy, grandchildren Paige, Aidan, Holden and Sutton, her sister Carol and her younger brothers Tom and Jim, and a host of friends.

A pivotal moment in Nancy’s life occurred when when she was 18. She began attending church with a coworker from Knott’s Berry Farm and made the decision to give her life to Christ, a decision that shaped the direction of her life. Her entire life was characterized by service to others – her family, friends, fellow church members and even strangers that she would encounter.

She and Sam were married in 1962 at the age of 19! Their lives of service were centered in the church as a pastor and pastor’s wife. Nancy was a gifted soloist and choir member and helped shape the lives of many as a children’s Sunday School teacher, leading a young married couple’s class, teaching a weekday women’s Bible study, mentoring many young women, and providing counsel, guidance, comfort and prayer to countless numbers of people through the years.

Nancy chose to be a stay-at-home mom during the early years of Ryan’s and Sandy’s lives. When they entered high school, she went back to college, receiving her teaching degree from San Diego State University. She taught 5th and 6th grade in El Cajon. Following her teaching career, she became the administrative assistant to the president of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the following years she served in a similar capacity in a number of churches, both in Colorado and back in San Diego. Her experience as a pastor’s wife gave her a unique ability to enhance the ministries of those churches. During her free time, she enjoyed working crossword puzzles and playing word games online with her friends. It gave an outlet for her competitive spirit!

Nancy’s long life was good because it was lived in service to others. She was loved by and now is mourned by many because she invested her time, concern and compassion in many lives. Her life is a testimony of the power of God to transform lives, both here and for eternity. God did a beautiful work in her life, and through her life in the lives of others. We are blessed to be the husband, children, grandchildren, siblings and friends of Nancy Williams! We will always love her and miss her.