Walter Marvin Williams

After a hard fought battle with leukemia, Walter Marvin Williams, Jr., 81, passed away quietly on October 14, 2011, with his beloved wife of 55 years, Karola, at his side.
Walter was a devoted father to his three children Janet, Michele, and Fred and his daughter-in-law Cindy, and the proud grandfather of Bradley, Doug, and Brooke Williams who called him Opa.
Walter was born on November 19, 1929, in Perquimans County, North Carolina, the oldest of five children. He met his wife Karola while stationed with the U. S. Air Force in Frankfurt, Germany. After traveling to the Mississippi Gulf Coast while in the Air Force, he made Long Beach, Mississippi his home. After serving the Air Force for twenty-two years, Walter was a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in Long Beach for another twenty years.
Walter was a loving and steady force in the lives of his family and friends and was a fatherly influence in the lives of many young people whenever they needed him. For many, he was an example of what a husband and father should be.
Walter was preceded in death by his father, Walter Marvin Williams, Sr.; his mother, Lillie Mae Williams; and his sister, Josephine Harris.
In addition to his wife and immediate family, Walter is survived by his brother, Douglas Williams (Rose) and his sisters, Kay Lane (Preston) and Margaret Fe' Trueblood (George), and his sister-in-law, Hilde Boven and niece, Heide Fogel (Herman), and a large and much loved extended family in North Carolina and Virginia.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, October 23, 2011, at Riemann Family Funeral Home, 19130 Commission Road in Long Beach, at 2:00 p.m., where friends may visit one hour prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Jude's Children's Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place; Memphis, TN 38105; www.stjude.org (1-800-805-5856) or the Mississippi Sheriff Boys Ranch, P.O. Box 1428; Columbus, MS 39703; (662-328-5704).
According to Walter's wishes, the family has made an anatomical gift to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. The family also wishes to express sincere gratitude to the wonderful caregivers who made Walter's final months at home possible.
For more information, please call (228)539-9800.