Tammie Kaye Keithley

She will forever be missed by parents, Brenda and Joe Williams; daughter, Kim Whitby (Nick) and granddaughters, Natalie and Sadie Grace; son, Richard (Kelly) and granddaughter, Madison, Sister Marion Winall (Danny); brother, Jesse Sawyer (Gail); and her constant companion, her butterball beagle Dixie; stepbrother, Mark Allan Sawyer and stepsister, Dawn Marie Sawyer; and Uncle, Cal Sawyer as well as many other family and friends. She was preceded in death by her beloved younger brother, Michael Douglas Williams; maternal grandparents, Marion and Howard Farris; and paternal grandparents, Thelma and Joe Williams.

Tammie never met a stranger and was a magnet for every wayward soul in need of a port in the storm of life. Be they 2-legged or 4 she turned no one away. Whatever the need she would do her best to see that it was met. No matter how little she had to offer, she would give it all to make someone else’s life a little better. She had the capacity to see the good in every person who came her way. She viewed the world through her huge heart and believed she could make a difference... no matter how small.

In her younger years, she lived in the Charlottesville area to be near the mountains. She said they called her name and she never wanted to be anywhere else but “in the country”. She loved to cook and try out new recipes. Every infomercial offered up a new kitchen gadget that she just had to have. And when the gadget finally arrived, she would immediately put it to the test. Soon the kitchen would be full of the aroma of a new recipe and the table would be set ready for whomever walked through the door to take a bite and test her bounty. Anytime you walked through her door, the TV was on and if it wasn’t Law & Order playing then it was the Golden Girls. She knew every word of every episode. Her favorite color was purple and she never watched a Horror movie she didn’t love.

In 2016, Tammie became critically ill and spent 90 days in the hospital and rehab facility. Upon discharge, she was partially paralyzed and the doctors said she may never regain normal use of her legs and hands. However, she proved them wrong and eventually through many arduous months of physical therapy, she was able to walk on her own. Her health remained tenuous in the years that followed but she met each challenge, every hospitalization with Herculean determination to overcome her adversity. In 2022, she faced Laryngeal cancer and we feared for the worst. But she remained a fighter and after a year of treatments was cancer free.

Tammie cherished her granddaughters Madison, Natalie and Sadie. They were her heart and soul.

For knowing her we are all the better. She taught us that there is value in the smallest human life. And for whatever your trial and tribulations, there is someone out there who has a greater burden. Help if you can. For loving her, was sometimes a challenge but always an adventure. She lived life completely on her terms usually without reservation and a strong measure of reckless abandon. For those of us closest to her to hear her voice whisper in our ear, she has left a crevasse that is deep and wide and will never be filled.

There will be a Celebration of Life Service at James River Baptist Church on Saturday, September 7,2024 at 12:00 PM located at 4931 Centerville Rd, Williamsburg, VA 23188.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Kitchen Fund, James River Baptist Church.