Shandra Denise Williams

Shandra Denise Williams was born on September 10,1969 in Atlanta, Georgia from the union of J. Herbert Williams Jr. and Dwynell Hamm Williams. Shandra is one of three siblings. Shandra departed this life in a very peaceful transition Saturday, October 28, 2017 with her wife Carla at her side. Shandra was an extremely spiritual person who studied various religious principles. The foundation of which started when she was baptized as a youth at Friendship Baptist Church. As an adult, she also attended Hillside International Truth Center, and was an active member of the Trinity Center for Spiritual Living where she served as a board member. Shandra graduated from Westminster High School in 1987 where she was active in various student activities including softball. In 1991, she graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Spelman College. She always regarded her Spelman classmates as her sisters. Shandra continued her education and earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work in 1994 from Smith College in Northampton, MA. In 1998, she became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for the State of Georgia. Shandra’s elite education led the way for her to work as a family clinician, care manager, clinical coordinator and regional director for various family centered service organizations. In 2002, Shandra started her own private practice, Solutions for Life, in Fairburn, GA. She remained in practice for 11 years, successfully conducted therapeutic treatments and crisis intervention with individuals, couples, and families dealing with job related and financial stress, anxiety, depression, anger management, conduct disorder, sexual and physical abuse, marital discord, divorce issues, effective parenting, blended family, gay and lesbian issues, self-injurious behaviors, suicide, terminal illness and grief. In 2008 Shandra joined the Delta Airlines family as a flight attendant. It wasn’t long before Delta recognized what a jewel they had in Shandra. As a response to 20,000 plus flight attendants’ request for support related work/life balance and exposure to traumatic incidents, Shandra developed Delta’s Peer Support Program. She recruited, trained, and mentored a team of over 80 volunteers. Since the inception of the Peer Support Program, Shandra’s efforts have either directly or indirectly helped over 15,000 flight attendants through various life events. Her role in developing the Peer Support Program helped to earn her Delta’s most prestigious award as a Chairman’s Club Honoree in 2014. On October 16,1999 Shandra and Carla E. Grell committed themselves to a life-long union. This union was reaffirmed on December 18, 2015 when they were legally married in Atlanta, GA. During her incredible life, she enjoyed traveling around the world, golf, high tea, karaoke, Atlanta Falcon football games, and spending time with her family and friends. Shandra was a champion supporter of various causes including helping to fight hunger in Atlanta, AIDS Walk, Myasthenia Gravis Walk and programs that empowered women. As a perfectionist, who embraced life with gusto she made the most of every situation, including her brain tumor (glioblastoma) diagnosis. Shandra provided motivation and guidance to others while fighting cancer. She never met a stranger. Once she knew you, you were instant family. Shandra leaves to celebrate her life: her spouse and love of her life, Carla E. Grell; parents J. Herbert Williams, Jr. and Dwynell Hamm Williams, two brothers, J. Herbert Williams III and Justin D. Williams; six uncles and two aunts, cousins, friends, and wellness warriors. A memorial celebration is planned for Saturday, December 2, 2017 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church, located at 534 Fairburn Road NW, Atlanta Georgia 30331. It was Shandra’s desire to bring all the segments of her life together in a joyful celebration. In lieu of flowers please make a donation in Shandra’s name to either Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure (www.abc2.org) or the Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation (www.sbtf.org) to help fund research / clinical trials for brain cancer.