Dr. Julie “San” Brown Williams, 69, of Nashville, Tennessee, died on October 8, 2018, surrounded by family. She was born June 5, 1949, in Daytona Beach, Florida, the daughter of the late Richard and Ruth Brown of Edisto Island, South Carolina. She was the second of four daughters and was raised in Winnsboro, South Carolina.
On June 28, 1969, she married Robert “BeBe” Williams. They moved to Nashville, Tennessee where she began her career in education. She spent thirty-five years as a teacher and administrator in the Metro Nashville Public Schools. Under her leadership as principal at Hunters Lane High School, she was responsible for instituting Nashville’s first and Tennessee’s second International Baccalaureate program. In 2004, Dr. Williams retired from the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools as Assistant Superintendent for High Schools.
Following that retirement, she served as a State Specialist for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and as an Exemplary Educator with the State Department of Education. In 2007, she was asked to take the leadership at Maplewood High School, where she was credited with turning the school around from a failing school to a school in “good standing” according to NCLB Standards, in the minimum number of years (2). At the end of the 2010 school year, she retired again and served as an adjunct professor at Belmont University and at American Baptist College in Nashville. She also served as the Director of School Programs at Smithson-Craighead Charter School in Nashville.
Julie was an active member of 15th Avenue Baptist Church for 49 years. She was an avid Bridge player- belonging to two Bridge clubs: Queen of Hearts and Mississippi Mudd; a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; and a member of The Links, Incorporated with alumna status.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 38 years, the late Dr. Robert Williams; her parents, Richard and Ruth Brown; and her sister, Jacqueline Dukes. She leaves to cherish her memory her three devoted children- Allan Richard (Carol) Williams, Dr. Thomas Christopher (Heather) Williams, and Robyn Cassandra (Toriano) Green, J.D.; two sisters-Abigail (Col. Curtis, Army, ret.) Taylor and Richardene (Vice Adm. David, Navy, ret.) Brewer; eight grandchildren-Cameron Williams, Avery Williams, Allison Williams, Brandon Williams, Camille Williams, Lauren Williams, Torian Green, and Thomas Green; brother-in-law, Dr. LeRoy Williams; god-children: Twjuana “TJ” Williams, Tracey Ivey, and Sharonda Estmond; and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.
Flowers may be sent to:
Lewis & Wright Funeral Directors
2500 Clarksville Hwy
Nashville, TN 37208
In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in Julie’s memory to:
Child Learning Center
c/o 15th Avenue Baptist Church
1203 9th Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37208
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