BARBARA LOUISE WILLIAMS

1930 - 2011

The world grew quiet and dark for many on November 5, 2011, when Barbara Louise Williams, age 81, a 16-year resident of Bullhead City, Ariz. lost her 2-year battle with cancer and passed peacefully at home in Bullhead City, Ariz., surrounded by loved ones.

Barbara was born in Bangor, Maine, on February 18, 1930, the second of twelve children. She met Billy Williams on a blind date while he was serving as a medic in the US Army Air Corps and moved to California in 1949 to be with him after he was discharged from the service. Bill and Barbara were married on September 2, 1950, settling in Venice, California, where they started their family, which sometimes included Barbara's own younger brothers and sisters.

When the family outgrew their first home, they moved to El Segundo, California, where they were blessed with another child. Barbara stayed busy raising her growing family, and still managed to find time to serve as a leader in Cub scouts and Little League for several years.

The family relocated to Simi Valley in 1963 and continued to grow as their sixth child was born and two nephews joined the family. Barbara still had time and love to spare, and proudly served as coordinator and catechism teacher for St. Rose of Lima CCD in Simi Valley for 17 years and was presented with the CCD Pius X Religious Education medal by Cardinal McIntyre in 1975.

When most of the children were grown and gone, Barbara went to work for Rockwell Science Center in Thousand Oaks in the word processing department, where her secret security clearance afforded her the occasional trip by helicopter to deliver or pick up confidential documents. Barbara retired from Rockwell in 1990, and became full-time caregiver to her mother, Elizabeth. Barbara, Bill, and Elizabeth took many trips together in their motorhome and saw most of the continental U.S. together.

When Barbara's mother passed away in 1994, Barbara and Bill decided it was time to be alone for a while as they had not had time alone since they were newlyweds. They packed up the motorhome and traveled the country again finally settling in Bullhead City, Ariz. where they have resided since 1995.

Barbara and Bill became parishioners of St. John the Baptist Church in Laughlin, Nev., where they both served as Eucharist ministers, and Barbara served as official "greeter" welcoming parishioners and visitors with a smile every Sunday morning.

Those of us who loved this special wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, sister and friend, find comfort now in the knowledge that she will be there with that great smile to greet us when it is our turn to "go home."

Barbara joins her family in heaven, including her parents, Elizabeth and Louis Tesseo; and ten siblings, Donald, Robert, Paul, Gordon, Anita, Laurel, James, William, Harold and Janis.

Barbara is survived by her loving husband of 61 years, Billy Williams; brother, Richard Tesseo; six children, Steven, Dianne, Richard, Jeanne, Mary-Ellen (Sam), Thomas, and their spouses; 16 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and close friends.

A memorial mass will be held at St. John the Baptist in Laughlin, Nev., at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, November 11, 2011, and again at St. Rose of Lima in Simi Valley, Calif., at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 14, 2011.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to your local Hospice or to Ovarian Cancer research.