Ila Weeks Williams

The 1st generation of 5 generations has handed the glowing torch of life on to her love ones here on earth. Ila Beatrice Doris (Weeks) Williams has gone home to be with the Lord, Our Savior and her loved ones who embraced her arrival in their heavenly space on December 3, 2015. Handing over the torch of life of 93 years to 4 generations following her mission in life. Ila was known by her loved ones and friends as “Doris” or “Weeksie” and to her grand-children, great and great-great grandchildren as “Babah”.

Ila was the daughter of William Michael Weeks and Beatrice Priscilla Epps, born on August 13th, 1922 in Norfolk, Va., she was the middle child of 5 siblings: William M Weeks, Everett F. Weeks, Ruth M (Weeks) Pearson & Robert P. Weeks. The family resided in Virginia during Ila’s early childhood and then moved to Roxbury, Massachusetts during her pre-teen years. Ila attended and graduated from Roxbury Memorial High School for Girls.

Through her love for people and her nurturing tendencies to help people, she attended & graduated from the Boston City Hospital of Nursing and became a Registered Nurse in 1946. Sometime after graduation, she traveled to reside in Washington DC to work with several other Boston City Hospital RNs in the great Washington DC Hospital Network. They had many experiences as young nurses, good ones, not so good ones and definitely life growing & learning experiences during the hard times when Washington DC still endured segregation. She moved to New York to reside near her oldest brother and family as she developed her nursing experience. While residing in Flushing, New York she was introduced to her soon to be husband, Fred Williams from McCormick, SC. They were united in marriage on Palm Sunday, April 10th, 1949 and 2 years later they were blessed with a daughter in January of 1951. They moved from Flushing, NY to Dorchester, Ma and a short time later settled into their own home in the small town of Holbrook, Massachusetts.

Ila continued her career as a registered nurse while being a devoted wife and mother working nights at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston for many years. Leaving the night shift work for opportunities closer to home, she gained employment at the Brockton VA Hospital. This later opened the doors for her to gain employment at the Quincy Nursing Home. Through strive for excellence and continuing her nursing education she became the Director of Nurses. She to create a facility of the highest regard for geriatric patients. She work with the owners and administrators to build their confidence and support the chain of nursing homes in Quincy & Boston. She continually upgraded her education as an RN and mastered courses to become a Nursing Home Administrator. She was task to train and orient other Director of Nurses for the nursing home chain, with the owners of the business having special regard for he nursing and business administration. She enjoyed family and friends, participated in the neighborhood social events and home improvement projects. She became a devoted member of Winthrop Congregational Church in Holbrook. Following the death of her husband, Ila continued to work at Quincy Nursing Home and she began to vacation and found that she enjoyed cruising with close friends and family. She traveled to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Brazil, Venezuela, Spain, and Africa.

After retiring from Quincy Nursing Home with many accolades & honors, she moved to Decatur, Ga setting up a home for a short time to reunite closer to her daughter and grandchildren. Later she and her older brother, Everett and younger sister, Ruth built a lovely home together in Boca Raton, Fla. Ila was a socialite in the neighborhood, they enjoyed many pool parties, cook outs and she was the Queen of the Bourbon Slush. All the neighbors invited her to their special parties for her bubbly party spirit but probably for the Bourbon Slush.

As time passed, she decided to return back to the Stone Mountain, Ga. She and her daughter purchased a home together. They enjoyed lots of family time, family events, parties, youth sports and some travel with friends and family to Hawaii & Alaska. She was a member of church and enjoyed her religious training as a class leader for New Bethel AME church. She enjoyed countless hours of prep and study for class leadership and the times in fellowship with her church family. Ila had the exceptional opportunity to share and be part of 4 generations following her.. She leaves her torch of life to those generations. The following generations will cherish her memory and loving spirit. She leaves to carry her torch of life her daughter: Carrol (Williams) Parris; Grandchildren: Camille (Jeffery) Brooks, Sean Parris, Carrol (Thomas) Brown (deceased), Nicole (Bramiah) Natomah; Great-Grandchildren: Courtney (Rafael) Malloy, Brandon (Katrina) Ridgeway, Nathaniel Ridgeway (deceased) Dominique Francis, Jasmine Robinson (deceased), Timothy Wilson, Joshua Parris, Christopher Clemmons, Alexis Clemmons, Autumn Clemmons; Great-Great Grandchildren: Brandon Ridgeway Jr, Caitlyn Turner-Malloy, Kaleb Ridgeway, Brody Malloy. Also, sister-in-law: Hattie Williams, Brother-in-Law: Arthur (Martha) Williams, Alice Germany, cousin: Cheryl Weeks, & Nieces & Nephews.