Ethel "Mae" Tompkins Williams

Williams, Ethel Mae (Tompkins) 89, formerly of Hyannis, MA, passed away on Thursday, September 17, 2015 at Coventry Skilled Nursing, Coventry, RI. She was the beloved wife of 57 years to the late Rev. William W Williams, III. Born in Hyannis, Mass she was the daughter of the late Cora B. (Thatcher, Drew) and Emery E. Tompkins.

Mae is survived by her four children, son William W. Williams, IV and his wife Dale of West Greenwich, RI; daughter Jane (Costa) Elliott and her husband Scott of Plymouth, MA; Bonnie (Rodriguez, Wyatt, Pimental) and her husband Tom Jacobs of Forestdale, MA; and Nancy A. (Williams) and her husband Michael of Olympia, WA. She also leaves behind 10 grandchildren,18 great-grandchildren and a great-great-granddaughter. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Barbara Baker of Hyannis, MA; many nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and nephews and cousins. She was the sister of the late Lila (Drew) Bearse, Cora (Drew) Mullen, William Drew and John Drew all of Hyannis, MA.

Mae had a lifelong love of music as an accomplished pianist and organist. In fact, her husband met her when he came to her church where she was the pianist at age 18 and he was a returning POW held in Germany and Poland for 33 months during WWII. He went on to use the GI bill to obtain his education in theology and was ordained as an American Baptist minister for over fifty years. Mae (his TINY) was his organist, pianist and choir director for all those years. They lived in Massachusetts, Missouri, and Washington state. She moved to Rhode Island in 2008 to be cared for by her son.

In addition to her career in music, she had a few part-time jobs over the years. She was a school trained secretary; a secretary for the town clerk in Kingston, MA; a secretary for lawyers in Springfield, MO; a school clerical job and Old Colony Memorial in Plymouth, MA. She also worked in retail selling Avon and worked for the bargain store Mal's in Dorchester as well as JC Penney. In Washington she also drove a school bus.

Calling hours will be held at Doane, Beal & Ames Funeral Home, 160 W. Main St. Hyannis, MA 02601 on Wednesday, September 23, 2015 from 4-7 pm. At the conclusion of calling hours, there will be a short celebration of her Christian Life at the funeral home. A private interment will take place the following day at Oak Neck Cemetery in Barnstable, MA.

In lieu of flowers please consider donations in her memory made to Beacon Hospice, 1130 Ten Rod Road, North Kingstown, RI 02852. For online condolences please visit www.dbafuneralhomes.com.