Rt. Rev. Huntington Williams Jr.

CHARLOTTE, NC. - The Right Reverend Huntington Williams Jr., 87, died peacefully in the evening of Jan. 28, 2013 at The Stewart Health Center of The Cypress of Charlotte with his beloved wife of 63 years, Mary Britton Williams, at his side.
Huntington "Hunt" Williams Jr. was born on Oct. 27, 1925, in Albany, N.Y. to Mary Camilla McKim Williams and Huntington Williams M.D. He was raised in Baltimore, Md.., where his father was Baltimore City Health Commissioner.
Hunt graduated from Calvert School and Gilman School, matriculated at Harvard College in 1943, and volunteered for World War II. He enlisted and served with the 87th Infantry Division in the Third Army, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and helped to liberate the Nazi concentration camp at Buchenwald. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Infantry Badge for his service during the war.
After World War II, he returned to Harvard, graduating in 1949, and entered Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Va.
As Episcopal priest, Hunt's first parish was St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Owings Mills, Md. He subsequently served as Assistant to the Rector of St. George's Episcopal Church in New York City and as Rector of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, N.C. He served as the Rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Charlotte, N.C. from 1963 to 1990, when he was elected and consecrated Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Virginia Seminary in 1991. He retired from the Church in 1996.
Bishop Williams was called to be a parish priest, and led an active pastoral ministry during the civil rights era and the period of liturgical change in the 1960s and 1970s. He was known for his compassion for his parishioners, his loyalty to the Church, and his social outreach. His life as a husband and father was one filled with kindness, laughter, and marked by unconditional love.
In addition to his parish work, he was a founding board member of Planned Parenthood of Greater Charlotte and Hospice of Charlotte.
Bishop Williams was loved and supported throughout his long ministry by his wife, Mary. He is also survived by sisters, Mary Camilla McKim (Richard) Wallis of Newport Beach, Calif. and Cynthia Ballard of Cockeysville, Md.; brother, Dr. McKim Williams of Newport News, Va.; four children, Sarah Britton Williams (The Rev. David Williams) of Elon, N.C., Huntington (Debra) Williams III of Baltimore, Md., Samuel Wells (Karen) Williams of Sitka, Alaska and Thomas Comer (Laura) Williams of Fairview and Charlotte, N.C.
Hunt and Mary celebrate their ten grandchildren, Jeremy (Abra) Williams, Lissa (Carl) Gupton, Britton (Stephanie) Williams, Sommer Chatwin, Samantha Williams, Christopher Williams, Bridger Williams, Mary Williams, Huntington Williams IV and Caroline Williams; and four great-grandchildren, Peter Williams, Thomas Gupton, Madison Williams and Sam Gupton.
A memorial service will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 1, at Christ Episcopal Church, 1412 Providence Road, Charlotte. Officiants include the Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry, the Rev. Chip Edens, the Rev. Lisa Saunders and the Rev. Wilson Carter. A private interment will be at 10 a.m. in the St. Peter's Episcopal Church Memorial Garden with the Rev. Ollie Rencher officiating.
Memorials may be offered to the St. Peter's Episcopal Church Endowment, 115 West 7th Street, Charlotte, NC 28202 or Hospice of Charlotte, 1410 East 7th Street, Charlotte, NC 28204.
TH Robertson Funeral Service Lic. is serving the family.
www.throbertson.com.