Brittany “Bri” Kathryn Williams, 31, passed into the world of Spirit too soon on February 27, 2022. Unfortunately, for a world that will be deprived of her light, it was the only time she was early for anything in her life. As with everything she did, Bri was born two weeks late on November 27, 1990, to Cheri Williams and the late Michael Williams, in Brownsville, Tennessee. A diagnosis of Type 1 or juvenile diabetes at age 11 would she see her spend much of her youth in and out of hospitals for one health crisis or another, but she never let her illness define her. Of all her vices and virtues, what described her most was passion. A passion for life that she lived with a breathless tenacity, her indomitable will that saw her face every obstacle without fear, and most, her passionate love of her family and friends, whom she loved to the tips of her fingers. Her nurturing nature and innate empathy for those sick & ailing made her a natural caregiver. She even spent time as a sitter with her Grandpa Jerry and Great Aunt Dell as early as her teenage years. These experiences would inform the trajectory of the rest of her life. Graduating from TCAT’s Medical Assisting program in 2016 and as a Phlebotomy Technician from West Tennessee Business College in 2017, she was on her way to fulfilling her long-life dream of being a Registered Nurse. She was just taking the scenic route. Her family always said she should have been born in Missouri, “The Show Me State”, because she was difficult to convince and had to try everything herself at least once. Even to those that loved her best, she was an enigma. As irreverent as she was spiritual, as subversive as she was inclusive, and childlike as she was wise, Bri was a collection of pieces that should not fit, but somehow gloriously did. Bri could be the first to anger but always the first to forgive-she was a firebrand that railed against the presence of injustice and wanted equality for all combined with the soul of a peacemaker that wished to comfort those in pain. She had the heart of wanderer, who was always ready for an adventure, especially with her Grandma Betty, but her favorite place was curled up on the couch at home, spending time with her family and her beloved cat, Duckie. Bri fluently spoke the language of sarcasm. Her encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture and her penchant for dark humor shaped her well-known acerbic wit, and yet, never jaded, she always maintained her childhood enthusiasm for her favorite holidays Halloween and Christmas, donning crazy costumes alongside her sister Rheanne year after year. As she said, “they give me an excuse to dress up even as an adult.” The dichotomy of all these things suited her well. She had an endless curiosity about the world in which she lived. She loved reading, writing, art, history, movies, TV shows, and most especially music. One of her greatest pastimes, shared with her sister Rheanne, was the discovery of new musical artists across all genres and the appreciation of live music, learned at their father Mike’s knee. Always up for a road trip to a particular show, these countless concerts together are the most cherished of memories. So much like her father Mike, Bri never met a stranger. Her unfailing kindness and infectious humor gained her fast friends wherever she went. She had the purest, most beautiful heart of any ever known, and the joy she brought to her family, her friends, and her co-workers was immeasurable. Her most recent job at Walmart in Ripley, Tennessee, lead her to find her companion of six months, Henry Fischel, who she loved dearly. Armed with limitless potential, her life was just beginning, and there is no way to know all she would have done and all she could have become. Like the music she loved so much, she shall always be an unfinished melody, echoing into Eternity. Bri never missed an opportunity to give a hug or to say “I love you.” She always made sure to share her heart every day. If meaning can be found in the unexplainable, her death, but most especially her life, teaches us to live with passion and to always never hold back what you need to say. As they say, love isn’t love until you give it away. She is preceded in death by her grandparents Jerry Hilycord, Jere Williams, Betty Williams, Harvey Rearrick, & Jo Rearrick, her father Michael Williams, and her uncles Hal Williams & Ricky Blackburn. She is survived by her mother Cheri Williams & her sister Rheanne Williams of Brownsville, her honorary brother Donnie Bailey of Bells, her aunt Kathy Rearrick of Ashland, KY, her uncles Donny Williams & Scottie Williams of Brownsville, Harvey Rearrick, Jr. of Ashland, KY, and her boyfriend Henry Fischel of Ripley, countless cousins, and other loving family and friends. A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, March 5, 2022, at 11:00 AM, with a visitation preceding at 10:00 AM at Lea & Simmons Funeral Home, 1280 S Dupree St, Brownsville, TN. No graveside services to follow.
