William Colter V

William Colter V was born on September 28, 1989 in Detroit, Michigan to Tanitia Dawn Johnson and William Colter IV. He was the joy of his late grandmother, Diane Kay Johnson-Poe and late great grandmother, Mabel Johnson. He had a special bond with his great grandfather, the late Clarence Darrow Johnson Sr. They were absolutely the best of friends!

William attended (and hated) Redford Union High School where he met the love of his life, Kasey Lofton. He graduated from Redford Union High School in 2007.

In 2016, William married Kasey after a 6-year courtship. To this union William’s legacy will continue through his son, William Colter VI, who is expected to make his debut in December.

William had several jobs in the retail and hospitality industry while developing his craft as a Director and Writer. He began studying photography and writing at an early age. The first set he stepped onto was a Music Video for Earl Klugh’s Song Driftin’. He then went on to shoot another music video for a local Detroit band called Hot Sauce. In 2007, a filmmaker was born when he attended Columbia College Chicago. There he learned to write and shoot his own shorts such as: The Rewind, I am Woman, the University Center 48 Hour Film Fest. He has award-winning shorts: Baile de Freedom (Best Actress Winner) and A Brief Bus Stop (Official Selection Of FWIFS). Though directing was his first love he worked mostly as a Director of Photography on Moment of Reprisal, Presidential Politics, You Had Time, & Closing Time. His IMDb credits include American Ninja Warriors, The Amazing Race, and Bad Karma to name a few.

William was a kind, loving soul who did not like people but loved everyone. He had a word of wisdom for all who crossed his path. His brutal honesty was at times misunderstood by those who could not handle the truth. Words were his vice which led him to publish two works of poetry. His first book, For Crying Out Loud, was his collection of spoken word. As he put it, “A book of poems by a poet about stuff.” But in actuality, the poems were love letters to family and friends. William was a Man of Jah (Yahweh), a Christafari. He loved Yahweh and was true to his faith. His second book, Fruits of a Poet Tree was his obedience to Jah. As he put it, “This is the work God instructed me to complete.”

At the young age of 32, William’s ascension to be with Jah and his ancestors leaves a barren place in his family. William is survived by his

heartbroken mother, Tanitia Colter; father, William Colter IV; loving and really pregnant wife, Kasey Lofton-Colter; future unborn son, William Colter VI; three brothers, Wilsean Colter, Jamaine McLawery, and Caleb Colter; one and only sister, Tia Colter; grandfather, Clarence Johnson, Jr. of Detroit, MI; two nieces, Seana Colter and Ashtyn Colter; two nephews, Tatum Colter and Tory Colter, and a host of aunts, uncles, and cousins.