John G. Williams

John G Williams (better known as Jack Williams) passed away on March 11, 2024 at the age of 91. He had been a resident of Spring Valley, NY since 1963.
Jack was born in 1933 to Deloss and Margaret Williams in Bronx, NY. He was raised in the Wakefield neighborhood of the Bronx, where he attended St Frances of Rome Elementary School, graduating in 1947. He attended Blessed Sacrament High School in New Rochelle, NY, graduating in 1952. In 1951, he was selected as a member of the Westchester County, NY high school football all-county first team as an offensive end. That season, Blessed Sacrament finished with a 6-1 record and famously defeated their crosstown tormentors Iona Preparatory High School for the first time. The score was 13-7 and Jack's play was instrumental in that victory. One Iona Prep player was known to have said that they would have won that game "if it wasn't for Williams."
Jack served in the United States Naval Reserves from 1951 to 1959, seeing active duty from 1956 to 1958 in Sidi Yahia, Morocco. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Iona College in New Rochelle, NY in 1956. He married Brigid R Williams (County Leitrim, Ireland) in 1959 and together they would have five children: Jack, Brigid, Margaret, Michael and Kathleen. In 1962, he received a Master of Science degree from Oneonta State Teachers College in Oneonta, NY and then began his long career as an elementary school teacher. He taught in the East Ramapo Central School District in the Town of Ramapo, NY for 25 years and at these elementary schools: North Main, Oakwood, Fleetwood and El Dorado.
Over the years, Jack was very active in his community. He was an active and dedicated member of the Fred Eller American Legion Post 1447 in Airmont, NY (past commander), going above and beyond to support his fellow veterans and their families. He was also a member of San Juan-Romagne Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3050 in Spring Valley, NY and gave considerable amounts of his time to such organizations as Saint Joseph's Catholic Church in Spring Valley, NY (where he volunteered and was a member of the Knights of Columbus), and Spring Valley Little League (where he was a manager during the years that his sons played ball).
Jack was a man of many interests. He was an avid golfer. His artistic interests included poetry (he is a published poet), painting, photography and songwriting. He was a voracious reader of history and philosophy.
Jack was an unforgettable character with a magnetic personality. He will be remembered fondly by so many people. Besides family, these include friends, co-workers, students, friends of family and many others. His keen intelligence, giving nature, sense of humor and especially his way with telling a story will be missed by so many. He was truly one of a kind.
Jack is survived by and will be greatly missed by his five beloved children: Jack Williams, Brigid Williams, Margaret Williams-Merten (Gary), Michael Williams (Lisa), and Kathleen Scagliotti (John). He is also survived by Brigid R Williams, who is the loving mother of his children. Although they were legally separated, they maintained a warm relationship that was important to him to the very end. He will be missed and his memory affectionately cherished by his seven grandchildren: Erin, Riley, Aidan, Casey, Emma, Sophie and Mairead. He will also be missed by his many nieces and nephews.
Jack was predeceased by his father Deloss, his mother Margaret, his sisters Margaret Walker and Bernadette Williams, and his brother Michael.
A wake will be held on Monday, March 18, 2024, from 3:00-7:00 pm at the Joseph W. Sorce Funeral Home, 728 West Nyack Road. West Nyack, NY. Funeral service will be held on March 19, 2024, at 10:00 am at Saint Anthony's Catholic Church, 26 West Nyack Road, Nanuet, NY.