Ronald Harrison Williams

Ronald H. Williams, 79, passed peacefully on January 9^th, 2023 after an inspiring battle with pancreatic cancer. His final journey was lived with a smile and the same determination to be a light for others that made him an amazing husband, father, and member of the community. He would tell everyone to enjoy every day as if it would be your last, to think positive, and to always focus on making happy memories with your families and friends as often as you can. He lived by that statement every day.

Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee to Henry and Pauline, and raised with two sisters, Henrietta and Brenda, Ron created a blessed life for himself and those around him. He met and married his soulmate Mary Ewing before they graduated from the University of Tennessee and celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary last March. After starting out as a teacher and having long business careers with IBM and Dow Corning in New York, Tennessee, and Michigan, he was able to enjoy over 20 years partnering with Mary as a Real Estate team in the Bluffton/Hilton Head area of South Carolina. Along the way, Ron and Mary raised two sons, David and Brian, who have gone on to raise families of their own and work hard to match the example that Ron set as father and friend.

The concept of family extended beyond genetics for Ron as he was an active community member. He volunteered as a Tournament Ambassador for the Heritage Golf Classic for 17 years and was particularly proud of his work with the local Adaptive Golf Clinic. After his diagnosis, he discovered The Caring House, a supportive living community serving patients of the Duke Cancer Center in Durham, NC, and quickly became an ambassador and key speaker at fundraising events. He made deep connections with his 2021 Caring House Cancer Crew and his final wish was realized as he organized and participated in a reunion with his friends as they hosted a welcome dinner for new guests to start the New Year. 

During his fight, Ron took time to learn new magic tricks that he would share with his caretakers or even a Zaxby’s employee that looked like they might need a pick-me-up. Helping others find their smile was part of how Ron kept his own, and he was committed to maintaining that smile no matter what he was facing. While it is hard to accept that Ron is not physically with us anymore, we know that his example will guide us for the rest of our lives, and he will live forever in our hearts and in the hearts of all those he was able to share his light with. Ron would hope that everyone takes a moment to be a blessing to someone else each day, even if it is only in sharing a smile, and in so doing that is how we will all best celebrate his life.

Ron is survived by his wife Mary, son David and longtime partner Christina Garrett with their children Griffin, Gracie, Halle, and Hunter, son Brian with his wife Lori and children Haley, and Austin, and sister Henrietta who has a large and beautiful family of her own. We all loved him deeply, know how blessed we all are to have shared in his light, and we all greatly appreciate the support of his community during this process.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 pm, Monday, January 30, 2023 at Sauls Funeral Home with the family receiving guests from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, Ron would ask that donations be made to The Caring House via https://caringhouse.org/donate or to Caring House, Inc.  2625 Pickett Road, Durham, NC 27705.