JENNETTE WILLIAMS

WILLIAMS--Jennette

(Jenny), 64, of New York City and Shelter Island, NY, died on April 9, 2017 after a two year struggle with cancer. She was born on December 17, 1952 in Forrest Hills, NY to John H. Williams and Lorraine O'Connell, who raised Jenny, and her two brothers Timothy and John in East Meadow, NY. After the birth of her two children, Halley and Emmet, Jenny left her career as a lawyer to pursue photography. She earned her MFA at Yale University School of Art in 1991, where she was awarded the Robert A. Weir Award for Excellence in Photography. She won a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2000 to pursue her project "The Bathers" and later the Honickman First Book Award from Duke University to publish the project in 2009. In "The Bathers" Jenny photographed women in steam baths in Eastern Europe over a period of six years. Her exquisite platinum prints are in numerous museum collections including The Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Yale Art Gallery. Jenny was a beloved teacher at The School of Visual Arts in NYC. She had three published books, "The Bathers" (2009), "Time Out" (2004), and "The Wet Class" (1998). Jenny was known to her family, her many close friends and her students for her warmth, generosity, her colorful adventurous spirit and untamed laugh. She was an inspiration to all and shared her brilliant sense of humor abundantly. Jenny is survived by her cherished children Halley Katsh-Williams, Emmet Katsh-Williams and wife Katie, loving mother Lorraine Williams, and devoted brothers Timothy Williams and John Williams. Also survived are her dear sisters-in-law Mary Williams and Pamela Williams, her adored nieces and nephews and her former husband Salem Katsh. A celebration of her life will be held at 2:00pm on Sunday, May 7th at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 180 W. 76th street. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Guggenheim Foundation www.gf.org/donate