Rhonda Faye Williams

Obituary For Rhonda Faye Williams

Rhonda Faye Williams departed this earthly life on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2024. Born on October 4, 1953, in Tallahassee, Florida, Faye was the oldest of three children of the late Earnest and Susie H. Williams. Faye moved with her family to Arcadia, where Susie began her career as a teacher at Smith Brown High School. As a student at Smith Brown, Faye excelled academically and was a member of the Trojan Marching Band. Part of the generation of black students who paved the way for school integration, Faye transferred to DeSoto High School and graduated in 1971. Faye attended Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, where she was a member of the Stetson Afro-American Society, a precursor for the Black Student Association at Stetson today, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. before graduating in 1975. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology in hand, Faye embarked on a distinguished career dedicated to service. Her professional journey spanned both public and private sectors, focusing on criminal justice, counseling, and case management. Some of her notable roles include serving as a parole and probation officer in Polk County, Florida, and later working with truant students at the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office and the Sarasota YMCA. Faye also made an impact in the DeSoto County School District, where she held various positions, culminating as Director of the DeSoto Alternative Center. Following in her father’s footsteps, Faye built a thriving income tax preparation service. She also extended her service to friends, neighbors, and the community by preparing official business and social services documents and correspondence. In recent years, she took on another labor of love – tutoring children to help them excel academically. She embraced the students with all her heart, giving them tough love when necessary and sharing in their excitement at every milestone. Perhaps Faye’s greatest contribution was in the care she provided for her father, Earnest, before he made his transition. She put his health above all else, ensuring his comfort and well-being during his senior years. More than anything else, Faye loved the Lord. She gave her life to Christ at an early age with her baptism at Mount Zion A.M.E. Church, where she was a faithful member until the end. As a teenager, she joined the Junior Choir before transitioning to numerous leadership roles as an adult. She served as a church Steward, church Secretary, was a member of the Stewardship and Finance Committee, and answered the call for support whenever the church needed her help. A spirited member of the church’s Bible study group, Faye was always ready with the appropriate scripture and words of encouragement to help friends and family work through any struggle. Faye leaves many to cherish her memory. She is survived by her daughter Ebony Williams Rogers (Bryon), of Tallahassee; siblings, Veratta Goodwin, of Harlem, New York; Ernestine Williams Allen (Keith), of Miami; Ernest Williams, of Tallahassee; her niece, Sarah Goodwin, of Harlem, New York; her uncle, Joseph Williams, of Tallahassee; cousins Virginia Herring (Morris), Marjorie McCutcheon, Joetta McMillian (Ernest), Linda Robertson (Eddie), Dolly Franklin, Sonia Nelson, Karen Bradham; Kenneth Hills (Keisha); special friends Barbara Jackson, Verna “Mona” Haynes, Greta Blackwood, Erma Williams, Paige Summers Tompkins, Jerayla Burch, and a host of extended family and friends.

Funeral service at Mount Zion A.M.E. Church, Arcadia, Fla., Dec. 11, 2024 The family will receive guests at Strong & Jones Funeral Home, Tallahassee, FL. from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. Interment will be at Buckhorn Cemetery, Sopchoppy, FL., on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, at 12:30 P.M.