Ernest M. Williams Jr.

Ernest Matthew Williams, Jr. (87) was born in New Bern, North Carolina, on October 5, 1928; the son of Ernest Matthew Williams, Sr. and Ida Mae (Hall) Williams. Soon thereafter the family moved to Gainesville, Georgia, where Ernest’s mother died and his father, Ernest, Sr., later married Julia Q. Williams. The family moved to Tallahassee, Florida, when Ernest, Jr. was in the third grade. He attended Caroline Brevard and Sealey Memorial elementary schools and graduated in 1947 from Leon High School where he established an outstanding record in high school athletics. He earned ll letters in sports, including baseball (was member of a state championship team as a sophomore), basketball (co-captain as a senior), and football (shared NEC conference all-star honors with Tommy Brown, Leon co-player, and Pat Sumerall of Lake City at end). He was a member of the Leon High Football Hall of Fame. Ernest played semi-pro baseball (pitcher) for the Tallahassee Capitals in the Gulf Coast League from late 40’s through mid 50’s.

Ernest attended Florida State University beginning in 1947, the first year it was co-ed and was a member of the first FSU basketball team, the team that won the first victory for an FSU varsity sport on December 10, 1948. He began working at the Office of the Florida State Comptroller’s in 1949 and had advanced to assistant supervisor of the Machine Department. In 1956 Ernest re-enrolled at FSU, majoring in Accounting. He graduated in 1959 (as a member of the accounting honorary of those in the top 10%

of the class), Beta Gamma Sigma; later achieved an MBA degree, also from the College of Business, and achieved the CPA professional certification in Accounting. During the following years Ernest was employed by Peat-Marwick, by the Florida Auditor General, as Assistant Comptroller of FSU, and as Director of Internal Management Auditing of FSU.

Following his retirement from FSU Ernest became a dedicated member of the Golden Boys tennis group at Tallahassee’s Forestmeadows courts. During this period of over a decade he became re-acquainted with former friends and developed relationships with many new friends. In either case, all were aware that his competitive spirit had not weakened in the least.

Ernest was predeceased by his mother, Ida Mae Hall Williams; his father, Ernest Matthew Williams, Sr.; his step-mother, Julia Q. Williams; and his brother, Jack Hall Williams. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Charlotte Allen Williams; his son, Ernest Matthew Williams, III, “Matt”, two grand-daughters, Cody Sutton Williams and Julia Katharyn Williams; a sister, Bobbie Jean Williams; brothers, Lew Daniel Williams and Don Allen Williams; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Ernest’s family will welcome all friends for a visitation at the Culley’s MeadowWood Funeral Home, 700 Timberlane Road, at 2:00 pm and a funeral ceremony to follow at 3:30 pm on Saturday, December 12, 2015.

The family suggests that anyone wishing to send a memorial donation should direct it to the Big Bend Hospice.