Nancy Ellerton Deibert Williams

Nancy Ellerton Deibert Williams died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, the 18th of May, 2014, at The Hermitage in Richmond, VA, after a three-year struggle with dementia. Born July 9, 1933 in Norfolk, VA, Nancy was the daughter of Gertrude Ellerton and James Henry Deibert. Nancy was raised in Petersburg, VA, and was a graduate of Petersburg High School and Hollins College. She married her high school sweetheart, William Clarence “Tink” Williams, in 1955, and the two of them moved to Richmond where he began his practice of Orthodontics. A long-time lover of Art History and all things French, Nancy spent her junior year studying in France. After her graduation from college, she worked at the Museum in Modern Art in New York City. Nancy and Will spent two years living in the French countryside while he was a Captain in the Air Force.

Nancy served on the Board of Directors of the William Byrd Community House for 25 years, was a member of the Council of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, participated in the Feeding Program at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and was a member of the Tuckahoe Woman’s Club.

A devoted member of All Saints Episcopal Church for many years, Nancy served on the Altar and Flower Guild, was a member of the Tuesday Prayer Group, worked with the Episcopal Church Women, and was a faithful participant of the Thursday Healing Services. Together, Nancy and Will were actively involved with the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer and helped organize many of its conferences in the U.S., Bahamas, Bermuda, and Canada.

Among Nancy’s greatest joys were time spent with her husband, four children, and nine grandchildren at the family beach cottage in Kill Devil Hills in North Carolina, and the trips she and Will took to many countries. Nancy and Will especially enjoyed exploring out-of-the-way sites in the French countryside.

She is survived by her husband, William Clarence Williams; four children: William Alexander Williams (Paulette) of Kill Devil Hills, NC; Amanda Williams Rowe of Richmond; James Clark Williams (Lisa) of Hanover County; and Susanna Williams Gold (David) of Bryn Mawr, PA; nine grandchildren: Abby Williams; Katie Rowe; Mary-Emily Williams; Sarah Rowe; Sophie Gold; Weston Williams; Peter Gold; Mary Williams; and Ethan Williams; and her sister, Susan Deibert Butler (Algernon) of Wilmington, NC.

A memorial service will take place on Thursday, May 22, at All Saints Episcopal Church, 8787 River Road, at 2:00pm. A private committal ceremony will be held at a later date at historic Blandford Cemetery, Petersburg. Flowers are welcome, or donations may be made to the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer ( www.afp.org ) or All Saints Episcopal Church ( www.allsaintsrichmond.org ). The family is being served by the Chester Chapel of J.T. Morriss & Son Funeral Home and Cremation Service. Condolences may be registered online at www.jtmorriss.com .