THOMAS LEROY WILLIAMS
Deacon Thomas Leroy "TL" Williams was born on Nov. 25, 1937, in Sumter County, a son of the late Rev. Dr. Levi W. and Ella Mae Davis Williams. He departed this earthly life on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, at Palmetto Health Tuomey.
At the age of 12, he joined Joshua Baptist Church, where he served faithfully as the chairman of the trustee board for more than 20 years, as chairman of the deacon board and as an adult Sunday school teacher for 20 years. He was a member of the male chorus, Second Sunday Choir and sang with the RL Williams Singers. He was also an active member of the Catchall Masonic Lodge No. 425. He was educated in the public schools of Sumter County and graduated from Morris College with a Bachelor of Science degree. After college, he served in the United States Army. He was employed in Sandersville, Georgia, as a math teacher, where he met and married the love of his life, Annette D. Smith, who preceded him in death. He moved to South Carolina and was employed by Sumter School District Two as a math teacher for 30 years before retiring. He taught math at the Morris College Upward Bound Program for many years and tutored anyone who needed help in math. He was a collegiate and high school official, where he officiated basketball and football games throughout the state of South Carolina for more than 30 years. Throughout this tenure, he officiated in several state championship games for basketball and football. He was one of the first to be inducted into the South Carolina Basketball Officials Association Hall of Fame in 2002.
Deacon Williams is survived by one son, Darryll (Cynthia) Gadson of Durham, North Carolina; three daughters, Lori (Dante' Sr.) Marshall of Clinton, Maryland, Tonya Williams of Wellford and Dionne (William) Carter of Potomac Falls, Virginia; one brother, the Rev. Roosevelt (Berneatha) Williams of Sumter; five sisters, Edith Wiggins of Tennille, Georgia, Queen Spann of Sumter, Rosalie Williams of Cheraw, Ruth King of Clinton and Irene (Gene) Curry of Union, New Jersey; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; a host of brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and close friends.
The family will receive relatives and friends from 4 to 7 p.m. at the home, 1135 Spann St., Sumter.
Homegoing celebration services will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Joshua Baptist Church, 5200 Live Oak Road, Dalzell, with the Rev. Eugene Dennis, pastor, eulogist, and the Rev. William Jefferson presiding.
Wake services will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the John Wesley Williams Sr. Memorial Chapel, Williams Funeral Home Inc., 821 N. Main St., Sumter.
The remains will be placed in the church at noon.
The funeral procession will leave at 12:20 p.m. from the home.
Burial will be at the Joshua Baptist Churchyard Cemetery.
These services are entrusted to the management and staff of Williams Funeral Home Inc., 821 N. Main St., Sumter.
Online memorial messages may be sent to the family at williamsfuneralhome@sc.rr.com. Visit us on the web at www.williamsfuneralhomeinc.com.