Walter Pippen Williams

Walter P. Williams (“Pip”), the second son of Spottswood WH Williams and Anna Laura (Lollie) Pippen Williams, was born in Greensboro, Alabama, May 16, 1920. He graduated from Greensboro High School with a football scholarship to LSU, where he played for two years before having to leave the team due to injury and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He received Bachelor of Arts from Wayne State University.

His military career began at age 15, when he joined the Greensboro National Guard, asserting he was, in fact, 17. By the time officials got around to verifying his age, he had turned 17, the legal age for joining. In May 1941, he responded to an Army Air Corps, recruiting poster and began his career as a military officer. He successfully completed pilot training and flew reconnaissance missions in World War II. At age 25 he was promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel. Col. Williams was also part of the historic Berlin Airlift, flying essential supplies to West Germany after East Germany cut off all supply routes to the city. In the mid-1950s, he flew covert operations into Vietnam. Among his other assignments, he served as Deputy Base Commander at Brookley Air Force Base in Mobile. He retired from the military from that assignment in 1964.

After retirement from the military, Mr. Williams earned his MBA in Business Administration from the University of South Alabama. He worked as a realtor and stock broker for an additional four decades.

Walter and his wife, Ariel, joined the St. Mark United Methodist Church in the mid-1960s. He was active in the life of the church, serving on the Administrative Board, Finance Committee and was President of the Golden Agers Club among other activities.

Mr. Williams was preceded in death by his parents; his brother SWH Williams, Jr. and his son Walter P. Williams, Jr. He is survived by his wife, Ariel Mellom Williams; daughter, Ariel EW Harris; son, James S. (Jim) Williams (Susan); grandchildren, Lee Williams (Tim Moore) Alan (Marci), Rene Smith (Jason), Angie Shore, Ted Johnson, Margaret Williams, Joshua Reynier; great-grandchildren, Nicole Marie Shore, Anna Laura Williams, Miranda Cook, Mya and Max Smith, Mallory and Gabriel Reynier; nephew, SWH Williams III.

Acknowledgements:

Our family has been blessed and deeply moved by the prayers, generosity and other support of each one who lifted us up to the Heavenly Father in this time of transition and grief. We are grateful to each person who helped with gifts of food and with condolence calls and visits. We will cherish your gifts and well-wishes and keep you in our prayers. We would also like to thank the staff of the Radney Funeral Home for their compassionate, professional services.