Alice O'Libbie Williams

Alice O’Libbie Williams was born January 30, 1922, to the late Phillip Lee Hubbard and Libbie Patrick Hubbard in Gladys, VA. She passed away peacefully in her home in Hyattsville, MD on February 10, 2021.

Alice was raised in a large, close knit family. She was predeceased by her sisters: Fannie Mason and Elizabeth Dillard, brothers: Early, Jimmy, Peter, Bill, Woodson, Charles, Wiley, Lee, Skinner, and Dudley Hubbard, as well as siblings that passed away when she was just a child. The love and extended family connection has remained very strong.

On December 17, 1942, Alice was united in marriage to her childhood sweetheart, Herbert Franklin Williams. She was a devoted wife who took pride in calling herself “Mrs. Herbert Williams.” From their union, which lasted nearly 57 years until his death, four children were born: Herbert Jr., Evelyn, Darlene and Michele. She was a doting mother with an enterprising spirit who loved the Lord.

She loved family, parties, and celebrating holidays. It was herpleasure to show off her skills in the kitchen. Cooking hot meals and sharing food with others made her happy and she always made sure you ate your fill. Some of the family favorites: her macaroni and cheese, candied yams, fried chicken, peach cobbler, rice pudding, and cornbread. It was not unusual to have 50 people come for holiday dinners and any special occasion she could think of.

She had a special place in her heart for children and ran a child care business from her home for many years. The children she took care of loved her so much that, as adults, they often asked her to care for their own children. After the untimely death of her daughter, Evelyn, she took in and raised her granddaughters, Benesha and Benita. Stepping in to help raise children was familiar to her. She also helped raise the late brothers James “Charlie” Veney and George Veney, and the late Dalton Berkley and Barbara Berkley. Many of her nieces and nephews have fond memories of her welcoming spirit and devotion to her family. She loved deeply, yet was a fair-minded disciplinarian. The children she cared for remember having to stand in the hall when they misbehaved.

As a military wife, she developed a love for travel. The family lived in Europe for several years and moved as duty stations changed every few years. She also loved sports, so in later years, she took pleasure in combining trips for leisure and supporting family at sporting events. She traveled to various places, including Canada, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Mexico. You could not find a more energetic cheerleader at any game, especially when she was rooting or her grandchildren. She was also a natural competitor and would routinely challenge all takers to a game of Connect 4, Backgammon or Chinese Checkers.

Alice was “Gramma,” as most pronounced it, to countless family members and friends. She was incredibly generous and had a great sense of humor. She loved to laugh and make others feel happy, encouraged, and under-stood. She appreciated the serenity of being surrounded by beautiful flowers and plants. Gardening was her passion and she had a “green thumb” that was unmatched in her community.

At a very early age, she learned the importance of a good education from her grandmother, a teacher. She emphasized the importance of education to everyone, especially her children and grandchildren. She was always teaching, nurturing, and guiding them, somehow making it fun. The grandchildren laugh, today, about how they never got a day off from school. Even during summer vacation, they knew her expectation was that they complete workbooks to be prepared for the upcoming grade level. She was

proud of their success.

In addition to her siblings, she is preceded in death by her husband, Herbert Williams, Sr.; son, Herbert “Cup” Williams, Jr.; and daughter, Evelyn Ann Bobo. She leaves to cherish her memories two daughters: Darlene Wake (Alvin) and Michele Williams; eight grandchildren: Alice and Marcus Williams (Kim), Benesha and Benita Bobo, Derek Wake and Brittany Wake Johnson (Chandler), and Rodger Edmonds IV and Angel Summers; five great-grandchildren: Andrew Williams, Ava and Elise Williams, and Zori and Amara Johnson; and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and close friends