Gloria Jean Williams

Gloria Jean Williams, maiden name Davis, was born August 22, 1930, in Fort Lynn, Arkansas, to Laura Elizabeth Davis, maiden name Gentry, and Ernest Richard Davis. One brother, Ernest Dale Davis, preceded her in death. She married Aubrey Richard "Bill" Williams, a Marine, on June 3, 1948, in Texarkana, Arkansas. Having met when they were 13, Gloria and Bill celebrated their 50th anniversary in Austin, Texas, five years before Bill passed away. She called him George. He called her Gremlin. We all called her Memaw. Following Bill's passing (he was called Pepaw), Gloria took over his vehicle inspection station and ran it for another seven years, developing a loving, familiar relationship with her employees, especially Matt Hastings who called her Mama. She was a strong-willed woman with a wry sense of humor and a generous heart who loved her family with her whole being. She also loved & was loved by her neighbors Robert and Mary, Carol, and Becky who shared their cul-de-sac in South Austin. Had they known her in her 30s she would have shared her love of grasshoppers and laughter with them as she did with her hometown friend Ada as they tipsily got lost a block from the house circa 1965. In her youth she was a competitive broom ball roller skater, lived in a one bedroom apartment with her mother who she loved very much, and helped out in the kitchen where her mother worked, and she would sneak out to steal watermelons with her friends from local farmers, hiding the melons in Spring Lake to keep them cool. A life-long Democrat she was a virulent anti-Trumper as well as a lover of cats, especially her adopted kitty Rocko. We lost her on January 29, 2025. Her grandchildren are April Sullivan of The Woodlands, Kady Rain, and Ramona Jane Williams, both of Austin; great grandchildren, Huxley and Hitchens of The Woodlands, sons of April and her husband Marshall Sullivan. Sister Wanda Harris lives in Fouke, Arkansas, and brother Garey Davis with wife Fay lives in Waxahachie, Texas. She has several nieces: Leah, Julie, Cindy, and Amy, and great nieces and nephews: Amanda, Doug (father to Austin and Elizabeth), Ashlyn, Trey, Dillon (father to Presley), Shelby, Ellee, Emmalyn, Landon who preceded Gloria in death, and Laighton (mother to Laila). Gloria's daughter Becky Altemus and Becky's husband Kent live in Spring, Texas. Memaw's son, Ric, lives in the Mojave Desert in California with wife Helga and their three cats. We cannot express how much we will miss our Memaw. She was a great lady and a joy of a friend. Our hearts are broken but our spirits gladdened having known such a lovely human.