Marylee Gibbs Williams

This past week, on September 4, Marylee Williams finished her adventure in this life, stepping into her eternal reward promised by One who is faithful. A Celebration of Life will be held at Grace United Methodist Church in Greensboro on Friday, September 9, at 11 AM. Marylee was born February 3, 1941 to Frank and Bea Gibbs.

Mom was a kind of trailblazer. She came from humble means in Miami and became the first person in her family to attend college, graduating from Georgetown College in Kentucky. She married Ralph Williams on September 7, 1963, right after they both finished college. She and Ralph met when they were young children, and do not remember a time when they did not know one another. They were married for 59 years- providing a great foundation for the family they have made together.

Marylee had several interesting careers, because she basically decided to succeed at whatever she felt like doing. She was a teacher and a librarian to begin with. She was able to stay at home while the boys were young, and she raised them to be independent and “do their chores.” After getting her sons established in school, she decided to try Real Estate. She became an agent and then a broker and enjoyed a long and successful career in that industry. Along the way, she lived out her passions by redecorating our house, many times and in many ways (to Ralph’s chagrin). She and Ralph built a lake house on Tim’s Ford Lake in Tennessee. This would become a weekend retreat for the family . . . and tons of the boys’ friends. They would ski and fish and hunt for fishing lures, and mom would have dinner ready at sunset. Finding that adventure too tame, Marylee got a hankering for the home country and bought property on remote Dog Island in Florida. The boys were indeed disappointed not to be in a tourist-like city, but it all worked out for the best as they got to grow up in God’s pristine creation and enjoy wildlife in an unspoiled environment. Again, all of their friends were allowed to tag along and find seashells, watch sea turtles thrive and dolphins chase the sunrise and sunset. And mom had dinner ready at sunset.

Once the kids were raised, Marylee and Ralph were blessed to be able to travel to many parts of Europe with lifelong friends. Normandy, France and Tuscany, Italy will ever remain some of the greatest places of adventure in their lives. And eventually they brought along the family to share the joy of discovery.

Marylee redefined herself with the onslaught of 6 cherished grandchildren. She even invented a new name for herself: Muv. For the past several decades Muv’s greatest joy was in her expanding family, and in showing the grandkids how to sew and cook and decorate. She was present for sporting events and graduations, and always proud of each and every one of her family. And she always had dinner ready at sunset.

Mom was a deep thinker. Perhaps in another lifetime she would be a writer- but time escaped her. As her parents both died at a young age, mom felt like the last 25 years of her life were being lived on “borrowed time.” So she made the most of her time. What a story of success and adventure. Her faith, placed in her during childhood at Little River Baptist Church, came to fruition and into full bloom in her adult life. Mom loved the Lord and sought Him faithfully. We are comforted with the Promises our loving God has made to all who trust Him- and Marylee trusted Jesus! She will be missed, she will be talked about, and she will be carried along as her family grows and walks into new adventures.

Marylee was preceded in death by her parents and her two sisters Sharon and Sandi. She is survived by her lifelong friend and husband of 59 years, Ralph; two sons John, and his wife Alexis, and Wayne and his wife Beth; and six grandchildren: Jeff, Maddie, Abby, Jackson, Avery, and Charlotte; brother-in-law Ken, niece Shellie and nephew Brandon. Many other family and friends mourn her passing and celebrate her eternal homecoming.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.haneslineberryfhnorthelm.com for the Williams family.