Funeral for Dr. Tony Williams, 73, of Moulton will be Monday, May 16, 2016, at 2 p.m. at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church with Dr. Harold Fanning officiating and Parkway Funeral Home directing. Burial will be in East Lawrence Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m at the funeral home.
Dr. Williams died Tuesday, May 10, 2016, at his residence. He was born Oct. 14, 1942, to Wilbern Williams and Ollie Kelley Williams. He was preceded in death his parents.
Tony Lee Williams grew up on a farm in Marion County and graduated from Hamilton High School in 1961. Soon afterward, he earned a technical degree in phlebotomy from the Gradwohl School in St. Louis, Missouri. Over the next decade, he would work in various hospital labs to support himself and his family while he continued his academic career. He completed courses of study at Calhoun Community College and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he earned both a bachelor’s degree in 1970 and his medical degree in 1975. Dr. Williams completed his medical residency at Huntsville Hospital and was named Most Outstanding Resident for the Class of 1978. Upon completion of his residency, Dr. Williams and his family settled in Moulton where he served Lawrence County as a family doctor for many years. He was beloved by his patients, often making house calls and seeing patients in his home. He was blessed with an amazing group of women and men who worked alongside him in his office and at Lawrence County Hospital. He earned a reputation as an excellent diagnostician and often attributed this skill to his practice of simply taking the time to listen to patients. Later in his career, he continued to serve his patients as health officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health, where he would work until his retirement in 2007. In both private practice and his state employment, Dr. Williams was known for his kindness, humor and individual attention to his patients.
He was dedicated to his family and a dear friend to many in the Wren community and throughout Lawrence County and North Alabama. Dr. Williams personal interests were wide ranging, but he was always happiest working on his farm and visiting with friends to share stories and coffee. He dearly loved his wife of over 40 years, Charlene, and his children and grandchildren. No words will express how deeply he will be missed, how much he was loved, and how much he loved.
Survivors include his wife, Charlene Williams; three sons, Lt. Col. Lemuel Williams, Dr. Matthew Williams and Daniel Williams; daughter, Christy Williams Graham; sister, Jan Williams Foster; and nine grandchildren, Conner Williams, William Graham, Harper Williams, Payton Williams, Savanna Williams, Christian Graham, Natalie Williams, Everett Graham and Jacob Williams.
Pallbearers will be Geary Hughes, Alex Rawleigh, David McAbee, Matt Montgomery, Scott Appleton and William Graham.
Honorary pallbearer will be Jimmy Rainey.
