February 27, 1936 - January 18, 2025
Dr. David A. "Dave" Williams, went to God and glory peacefully on January 18, 2025, at the age of 88, in Tucson, AZ. A preeminent educator and beloved community leader, he was born February 27, 1936, in Carthage, MS. David lived his life dedicated to service, education, family and faith.
kAms2G:5VD ;@FC?6J 3682? :? r2CE9286[ H96C6 96 >6E 9:D 36DE 7C:6?5 2?5 =@G6 @7 9:D =:76[ q6E9] vC@H:?8 FA H:E9 9:D E9C66 3C@E96CD 96 56G6=@A65 2 =:76=@?8 =@G6 7@C E96 @FE5@@CD 2?5 7:D9:?8] w6 H2D 2? 2G:5 7=J 7:D96C>2? <?@H? 27764E:@?2E6=J 2>@?8 {66VD u6CCJ 2?8=6CD 2D Q(2=<\:? s2G6Q @? E96 r@=@C25@ #:G6C] s2G:5 7@F?5 :>>6?D6 ;@J 36:?8 @? E96 C:G6C H:E9 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D] w6 8F:565 9:D 8C2?549:=5C6? E@ 42E49 E96:C 7:CDE 7:D9 4C62E:?8 496C:D965 >6>@C:6D H:E9 6249]k^Am
kAmp7E6C D6CG:?8 9:D 4@F?ECJ 2D 2 #FDD:2? {:?8F:DE :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D p:C u@C46 $64FC:EJ $6CG:46[ s2G:5 8C25F2E65 7C@> }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 &?:G6CD:EJ H:E9 2 E6249:?8 568C66[ 2?5 @G6C E:>6 3@E9 9:D >2DE6CVD 2?5 5@4E@C2E6 568C66D :? 65F42E:@?] w6 3682? E6249:?8 >:55=6 D49@@= D4:6?46 2?5 9:DE@CJ 7@C u=28DE277 &?:7:65 $49@@= s:DEC:4E :? `he` 2?5 7:==65 9:D DF>>6CD 2D 2 }2E:@?2= !2C< #2?86C 2E ?62C3J $F?D6E rC2E6C 2?5 (FA2E<: }2E:@?2= |@?F>6?E]k^Am
kAm%6249:?8 H2D ;FDE E96 368:??:?8 @7 s2G:5VD ECF6 42==:?8 2D 2? 65F42E@C] w:D 42C66C :? 65F42E:@? DA2??65 564256D 2?5 925 2 AC@7@F?5 :>A24E @? 4@F?E=6DD =:G6D] uC@> E62496C E@ AC:?4:A2= E@ $FA6C:?E6?56?E @7 E96 u=28DE277 &?:7:65 $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ s2G:5 H2D F?H2G6C:?8 :? 9:D 4@>>:E>6?E E@ 6?DFC6 6G6CJ 49:=5 925 H92E E96J ?66565 E@ =62C?] w:D =6256CD9:A 2?5 :??@G2E:@? 62C?65 9:> 2 DA@E 2D @?6 @7 E96 %@A `__ $49@@= p5>:?:DEC2E@CD :? }@CE9 p>6C:42[ 2?5 9:D 6IA6CE:D6 :? 65F42E:@? 2?5 D49@@= =2H H2D H:56=J D@F89E @FE] p7E6C aa J62CD H:E9 E96 D49@@= 5:DEC:4E[ s2G:5 >@G65 E@ 9:896C 65F42E:@? H96C6 96 E2F89E 65F42E:@? 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 4=2DD6D 2E }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 2?5 q2J=@C &?:G6CD:E:6D] w:D G6CD2E:=6 =6256CD9:A D<:==D 4@?E:?F65 E@ 36 42==65 @? 2D s62? @7 E96 r6?E6C 7@C tI46==6?46 :? t5F42E:@? 2?5 s62? @7 E96 r@==686 @7 w@E6=[ #6DE2FC2?E[ 2?5 %@FC:D> 2E }p&[ x?E6C:> !C6D:56?E @7 r@4@?:?@ r@>>F?:EJ r@==686[ 2?5 E9C@F89 4@?DF=E2E:@?D 24C@DD pC:K@?2 H96C6 9:D <?@H=6586 2?5 6IA6C:6?46 AC@G:565 :?G2=F23=6 8F:52?46 E@ 65F42E:@?2= :?DE:EFE:@?D 2?5 =2H 7:C>D]k^Am
kAmq6J@?5 s2G:5VD AC@76DD:@?2= 42C66C[ 9:D 565:42E:@? E@ 9:D 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 9:D 72:E9 H2D :?7:?:E6] w:D 4@>>:E>6?E E@ 4@>>F?:EJ H2D 6G:56?E E9C@F89 9:D A2CE:4:A2E:@? :? G2C:@FD @C82?:K2E:@?D 2?5 3@2C5D :?4=F5:?8 E96 u=28DE277 r92>36C @7 r@>>6C46[ u=28DE277 |65:42= r6?E6C[ u=28DE277 u6DE:G2= @7 E96 pCED[ r@4@?:?@ r@F?EJ vF:52?46 r6?E6C[ 2?5 E96 |FD6F> @7 }@CE96C? pC:K@?2] x? %F4D@?[ FA@? C6E:C6>6?E[ s2G:5 DA6?E >2?J 9@FCD G@=F?E66C:?8 2E E96 !:>2 p:C 2?5 $A246 |FD6F> 4@?E:?F:?8 9:D =@G6 @7 65F42E:?8] w:D 4@?EC:3FE:@?D 62C?65 9:> ?F>6C@FD 9@?@CD[ DF49 2D 9:D :?5F4E:@? :?E@ E96 }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 &?:G6CD:EJ w2== @7 u2>6 2?5 E96 6DE23=:D9>6?E @7 E96 s2G:5 p] (:==:2>D pH2C5 7@C x??@G2E:@? AC6D6?E65 2??F2==J :? 9:D 9@?@C]k^Am
kAms2G:5 H2D 2 56G@E65 >6>36C @7 E96 (:D4@?D:? tG2?86=:42= {FE96C2? r9FC49 2?5 2=H2JD 7@F?5 E:>6 E@ D6CG6[ H96E96C =625:?8 E96 4@==68:2E6 8C@FA 2E |E] r2=G2CJ {FE96C2? r9FC49 :? u=28DE277 @C D6CG:?8 @? E96 49FC49VD ?2E:@?2= q@2C5 @7 %CFDE66D 2?5 E96 q@2C5 @7 #686?ED @7 (:D4@?D:? {FE96C2? r@==686]k^Am
kAm!C646565 :? 562E9 3J 9:D A2C6?ED[ p=36CE 2?5 p=:?6 (:==:2>Dj 2?5 9:D @=56C 3C@E96C[ p] $:5?6J Wy@2??X (:==:2>D[ s2G:5 :D DFCG:G65 3J 9:D =:76=@?8 4@>A2?:@? 7@C ?62C=J f_ J62CD[ 9:D H:76[ q6E9] w6 =62G6D 369:?5 E9C66 49:=5C6?i s2G:5 |2C4 Wy2J?6 z]X (:==:2>D @7 u=28DE277[ p+[ t=:D236E9 W{:D2X (:==:2>D r2==2? WqCJ2?X r2==2? @7 xDD2BF29[ (p[ 2?5 !9:==:A (:==:2>D W$92??@? r=2C<X @7 u=28DE277[ p+] w:D =6824J 4@?E:?F6D E9C@F89 9:D 7:G6 8C2?549:=5C6?i y@D9F2 s2G:5 (:==:2>D W*:C2 q6C>F56KX @7 }6H y6CD6J[ p??6 t=:D236E9 (:==:2>D @7 pC:K@?2[ y24< r=2C< Wy6??2X (:==:2>D @7 r2=:7@C?:2[ t==6? r=2C< (:==:2>D @7 ~C68@?[ 2?5 #:=6J s2G:5 r2==2? @7 pC:K@?2] u@FC 8C62E\8C2?549:=5C6?i s2G:5 #J2? 2?5 #F3J p??6 (:496CE[ 2?5 r2=63 |2C4FD 2?5 z2C:?2 {66 (:==:2>D] s2G:5 :D 2=D@ DFCG:G65 3J 9:D EH@ 3C@E96CD[ |2C:@? s] W$9:C=6JX (:==:2>D @7 p=232>2 2?5 9:D EH:? 3C@E96C[ E96 #6G] s@?2=5 q] Wy@C6?6X (:==:2>D @7 |:DD:DD:AA:]k^Am
kAmp >6>@C:2= D6CG:46 E@ 46=63C2E6 s2G:5VD =:76 H:== 36 96=5 @? u63CF2CJ aa[ a_ad[ 2E `_ib_ 2]>] 2E vC246 tG2?86=:42= {FE96C2? r9FC49[ gb_ }] `DE pG6[ %F4D@?[ p+ gdf`h]k^Am
kAmx? =:6F @7 7=@H6CD[ 5@?2E:@? DF886DE:@?D :?4=F56 E96 }p& s2G:5 p] (:==:2>D {6256CD9:A t?5@H>6?E $49@=2CD9:A uF?5[ 6DE23=:D965 :? 9@?@C @7 9:D =:76=@?8 AFCDF:E @7 65F42E:@? 7@C 2==j |E] r2=G2CJ tG2?86=:42= {FE96C2? r9FC49 :? u=28DE277 @C vC246 tG2?86=:42= {FE96C2? r9FC49 :? %F4D@?]k^Am
kAms2G:5VD =6824J @7 =@G6[ =62C?:?8[ 2?5 =6256CD9:A H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ :?DA:C6 2?5 FA=:7E E9@D6 H9@ <?6H 9:>] w:D =:76 H2D 2 3624@? @7 9@A6 2?5 72:E9[ 2 E6DE2>6?E E@ E96 A@H6C @7 65F42E:@? 2?5 2 C6>:?56C @7 E96 ;@J 7@F?5 :? D6CG:?8 @E96CD]k^Am
kAm':D:E[ D:8? E96 8F6DE 3@@<[ 2?5 D92C6 >6>@C:6D @? s2G:5VD @?=:?6 >6>@C:2= A286 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^3:E]=J^b!!feBAQm3:E]=J^b!!feBAk^2m]k^Am