Eleanor Joyce Williams

December 21, 1936 - April 22, 2011

Eleanor Joyce (Toliver) Williams, went home to be with the Lord in College Station, Texas on Good Friday, April 22, 2011 surrounded by loved ones.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, April 29, at Daniel and Son Funeral Home, located at 401 West 18th St. in Bryan, Texas 77803

The Lincoln Recreation Center where she spent many days and countless hours mentoring young and old a like, will be the location of her funeral service. How appropriate that the address is 1000 Eleanor Street, College Station, Texas. 77840. The service will start at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, 2011. Her body will be laid to rest at Roans Chapel Cemetery. Everyone is invited back to the Lincoln Rec. Center afterwards for the repast gathering.

Eleanor was born December 21, 1936 to Robert I. and Viola (Ford) Toliver, in Texas. Eleanor accepted Christ at an early age, she stayed the course her time on this earth. She attended Prairie View A&M on a full academic scholarship. Eleanor enjoyed all sports and watched them as often as she could. She was the mother in the crowd that everyone could hear cheering. In 1955, she married Tollie Williams Jr., and they were blessed with seven beautiful children.

She then moved to Alaska in 1963 to be close to her older sister Vanee Robinson, and there her journey begins. In 1968, Eleanor began her career at Federal Aviation Administration, cleaning the building no job was too small, she moved to the steno pool and on to becoming the first African American Woman to be certified as an Air Traffic Controller in 1971 and in 1976, it was verified and she was entered into the U.S. History books. Merely a stepping-stone, she went on to become the first African American Woman to head up a major en-route facility in 1992, in Cleveland, Ohio. She was inducted into the Black Aviation Hall of Fame in 2001, along with such greats as Alfred C. Anderson and several other Tuskegee Airmen.

A true child of God, she was committed to teaching and reaching out to as many as would listen, she was a true pillar in every community in which she lived, leaving her mark as she went. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, she was always teaching and as she learned she would share her knowledge with others believing if you could reach out and touch one person you could make a difference. Her last quote, "Let us all learn to get along and work together."

Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Robert Toliver; and ex-husband, Tollie Williams Jr.; two grandsons, Marcus Larry Watkins and Robert London Smith III; and several nieces and nephews.

She is survived by her seven children, Rodrick L. of Washington, Viola Kaye, Darryl D., Eric R. and Kenneth R. of Alaska, Dana D. and Sheila Anne of Texas; sisters, Vanee Robinson, Iris J. Scott, Marjorie Thompson and husband, Lee and Mary N. Maddox; uncle, Alandrus Peterson; aunt, Christine Ford-Jenkins; 23 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and many dear friends and close associates.