WILLIAMS, Dr. Dean Climmon, of Richmond, departed this life Wednesday, January 25, 2023. He was the 2nd of seven children born to the union of John Alfred Williams and Hazel Johnson on February 6, 1957 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his sister, Sharon Denise Williams. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the Medical College of Virginia (MCV). He completed his internship in Transitional Surgery at Howard University, Washington, D.C. and worked in a clinic setting in Laredo, Texas until he returned to Richmond. While back at MCV, he began his career as an Emergency Room doctor. He was named Medical Director at the Emergency Care Center at Richmond Community Hospital. He later became a part of the Emergency Department at St. Mary's. Dean was a founding member of Boy Scout Troop #111 in Orange, Virginia. He was a faithful member of First Baptist Church - South Richmond. Surviving are his children, Dean A. Williams and Lindsay A. Williams; and their mother, Dr. Breanna L. Lindsay; siblings, Wayne C. (Sharone), Carol L. Williams-Wright (Troy), Craig J. (Michelle), Todd N. and Daryl J. Williams; numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends and colleagues. A memorial service for "Dr. Dean" will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, February 11, 2023, at First Baptist Church - South Richmond, 1501 Decatur St. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to your favorite charity in memory of Dr. Dean. No viewing. Face mask required. Arrangements by Scott's Funeral Home, 115 E. Brookland Park Blve. Online guest book at scottsfuneralhome.com.

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Published by Richmond Times-Dispatch on Feb. 9, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
for Dean Williams

Sponsored by Scott's Funeral Home - Richmond.

59 Entries

Susan Ellis

December 14, 2023

Missing you always,thinking about you all the time RIP

John R Futrell

December 13, 2023

Everyday we miss you Dean!! Your stories, your enthusiasm regarding helping others, the way you instructed and taught us, and just your friendship!!

John R Futrell

December 13, 2023

Everyday we miss you Dean!! Your stories, your enthusiasm regarding helping others, the way you instructed and taught us, and just your friendship!!

Paula Autry

February 26, 2023

I knew Dr. Williams when I was Administrator at RCH 2002-2007. Serving in my 1st Administrator role, I had a lot to learn and Dean was instrumental in my development. Most importantly he demonstrated to me to importance of serving our communities. I was shocked to hear about his loss. My prayers go to his family and close friends. He will be missed but served well! Praise God!

Debra Person

February 16, 2023

Sad news to hear about Dean's passing this year. I knew Dean for a short period as a young college student at VCU. I admired his drive and hard work ethic. He spent long hours in the library and the halls of MCV. He would eat bags and bags of miniature Snicker bars when he burned the midnight oil studying. He was no nonsense, funny, and quirky. We didn't stay connected and lost touch. I know he will be missed very much by his loved ones. May God and prayer give your family strength and peace.

Tim Freeman

February 13, 2023

Condolences to Dean's family. He was a great person, and even though I had not seen him since 1975 when he graduated high school, I always call him/called him my friend. My memory of when we were in school (and fellow wresters), he was selfless, driven, hardworking, reliable......just the best. I see from the various comments that he continued to embody those qualities his entire life, and certainly as a physician; that is just Dean. Also, I was fortunate to attend the memorial service, which was a fitting tribute to this great man. We lost one of the best. Love to all.

Donshea Smith

February 10, 2023

Condolences To The Williams Family. May God Continue To Comfort You In This Time Of Need. Dr. Dean Williams Will Be Missed And We Are Blessed To Have Known Him .
RCH And SMH ED

Gwen Gwathmey Parker

February 10, 2023

My condolences to the family of Dean (Dr. Williams). I had an opportunity to work with him in the ED at MCV. He was a knowledgeable and caring physician who will be greatly missed.

Charmagne Alexander

February 10, 2023

Dean you were one of the GOOD ONES. I WILL MISS YOU.

Hannah Holmes-Crews and Family

February 10, 2023

I am saddened that we have lost such a stellar human being! Dean was such great man, physician and overall friend. We send our condolences to his family and close friends. He left a legacy of kindness, love of his family and service to his community, a legacy that will live on for future generations.

Karen Ballou Hunt

February 10, 2023

Mary Ann Holmes

February 9, 2023

I began working with Dean in the 1988 when I came to MCV. I loved his love of family and we talked many times about family and traded family stories. I teased him often and kept asking him what his middle name was and he would'nt tell me. I decided to nick name him Dean-us Cornelius. He always answered to that name. His smile, laughter and jokes made difficult work days bearable and I feel so fortunate to have been in the ED with the folks I worked with at the time. He helped to make me a better nurse.
Alex and Lindsey, you will certainly miss your dad because you had a great one. You both were his joy. The memories will be difficult at first but over time , you will shed less tears, laughter will replace those tears and you both will realize just how blessed you were to have had your dad as yours. Know so many people are sending prayers out to you both and your family.

Marilyn Day

February 9, 2023

My sincere condolences to the family.

Cecilia Graham

February 9, 2023

I worked with with Dr. Williams at VCU in the 80's and he was a great man and physician.

From the Staff of Scott's Funeral Home

February 9, 2023

Offering our deepest condolences during this difficult time.

William Kidd

February 6, 2023

May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

Chaplain Mendizabal

February 6, 2023

Wow, saddened and shocked to see this. I truly enjoyed Dr. Williams candor, laugh and overall presence in the ER at St. Mary's during my time there. Healing and wholeness for his loved ones as they grieved.

Dr. Karen Ballou Hunt

February 5, 2023

Rona Richardson Callahan

February 5, 2023

To the family. Sending my condolences and prayers to the family. He will be greatly missed.
Sincerely
Rona Richardson Callahan

Ginger L Cole

February 5, 2023

Dean, you were there when I started at MCV, there when I had my daughter, held her for me in Green ER, helped me get emergent Cardiology appointment, and when we opened Richmond Community ER that we jokingly called MCV Annex. The world has lost a great practitioner, family member, and friend. Rest Easy. Ginger

Benitee

February 4, 2023

It´s hard to accept that Dean has moved on. He was my friend, my confidant, my buddy. I am going to miss the intense debates, his silly jokes, and him calling me 1-2x a week
Just to check in. Good memories. He was so good connecting with his patients. He was an advocate. Dean was firm in his faith. Absolutely treasured our friendship. It represented excellent communication, boundaries, and good conflict resolution. It was the friendship most want, since it was nonjudgmental. That´s what made it special. He loved his family; loved being a father. Dean was just a good guy! Alex and Lindsey,I am praying for comfort, strength, and God´s protective hedge around you. I´m so sorry for your loss. Dean will be missed!!

Susan Ellis

February 4, 2023

Dean you will forever be in my heart and missed always, may your kids and the rest of your family and friends find peace in the memories that you made and share with them I know I will. Susan Ellis

Gretchen Hairston

February 4, 2023

I am so sorry to hear of the transition of Dr Dean Williams, he will be missed. My prayers are with you. God Bless!!!

Jennifer Franklin Johnson

February 4, 2023

Dearest Family,
My deepest condolences for your loss. May God comfort and keep you during this time of sorrow. My prayers and support are continuous as is my love.
Jennifer

Yvonne Datta

February 4, 2023

I trained with Dean in medicine residency. He was a wonderful person and physician. It was always fun to be around him. I am saddened by his passing, and my condolences to his family.

Reginald Allen

February 4, 2023

I meet Dean at Richmond Community Hospital while working as a off duty police officer, we have been friends for over 20 years. I am truly saddened to hear of his passing. God took home a great spirit and all around great friend and person. I will miss our periodic conversations and his wit and laughter. God and time heals all wounds. Take your rest my friend, you have gone from labor to reward.

Debra Martin

February 4, 2023

Dr Williams was kind, loved teachable moments, the staff and patients at the Center for High blood pressure all loved him. He donated his time with us for many yrs. He was an asset to the Richmond community and will be greatly missed.

Lisa Moreland Overton

February 4, 2023

I think of Dean and think of him being a family man. The loving and caring father to Alex and Lindsay who meant more than the world to him. Brenna you were a light in his eye. May each of you hold to his love for you and all the loving memories of him sharing his love for you all. Brenna Lindsay, and Alex I will continue to keep you in my prayers. May you feel God´s comfort , love and strength as you walk each day. With love The Overton Family Cedric,Lisa and Charles

Eternal Friendship Remembrance Bouquet - VASE INCLUDED

The overton Family

Sent Flowers

Raj Mehta

February 3, 2023

I feel blessed to have met and gotten to know Dean. His room-brightening smile showed how he was present in the moment and caring for those lucky to be around him. Considerate and brilliant, he garnered love and respect. RVA has a lost a great citizen. God bless his soul and strength for his family.

Dr Wanda Spolnicki Robinson

February 3, 2023

Dean was such a good man and an amazing doctor. The world will not be the same without him . He was always upbeat and happy . He was a great teacher and friend and I will miss him so. God bless him and his family . May he rest in peace. Dr Wanda Spolnicki Robinson

LaVera Williams

February 3, 2023

Dean was always so full of life! He had an opinion about everything and shared his thoughts without hesitation. Dean was a family man and Alex and Lindsay meant everything to him. He never stopped loving Brenna and always wanted the best for them. My last conversation with Dean was a week before he was called home. He was so excited to hear about Noah´s song release and what Nia and Nigel were up to. We laughed and talked for what seemed like, forever. He talked about a dream he had of Dexter so i hope they are chatting far above the clouds as they are both watching over their beautiful families. I love you Brenna, Lindsay, and Alex and I will continue to keep you in my prayers. God Bless You!

LaVera, Gret, Nia, Nigel, Noah

Sent Flowers

Dana Thierry

February 3, 2023

Dean ,made me smile on many days when working at CVAS/RASI each time I walked in the emergency room to bring a patient. Dean was approachable, attentive and cared about the health and outcome of his patients. I got to work with him briefly at RCH and he was truly in his element in that ER. He made the East End community proud and confident about getting medical care because he was there.

Ralph Bickley

February 3, 2023

This old CVAS and RASI medic remembers Dr Williams as one of the really good guys and will be greatly missed.

Janet Vaughan

February 3, 2023

I´ve known Dean since his daughter, Lindsay, & my daughter cheered together. A huge asset to our medical community. He has left this world way too soon. Rest easy, Dean & thank you for your friendship! Prayers to his children and family at this difficult time

Joy Robinson from St Mary's EVS

February 3, 2023

Grief can be so hard, but our special memories help us cope. Remembering you and your loved one today and always. He was a great ER doctor and St Mary's Hospital Emergency Department will truly miss this gem.

Jurell

February 2, 2023

Dean, I miss you my friend, and my brother. You have always been kind and willing to give a helping hand to those who need it. Your mind is like a sponge with tons of knowledge. You were willing to share. I love you and miss you, my brother. My deepest condolences Family. Love Y'all

Anonymous

February 2, 2023

May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

Debra J. Hurt

February 2, 2023

Dean and I were good friends in high school. I remember him very fondly. Dr. Kingslow´s tribute describes traits of a man and a physician that are the same traits that Dean exhibited in the mid-70´s. Anyone that knew him then knew as he pursued a medical career he would succeed and be the best. Dean had a strength of character and empathy for humanity that few others do. I am so very sorry for his family and medical community. I know his loss will be felt for a very long time. Perhaps the best way for all of us to honor his memory is to emulate him.

Kayla Hendershot

February 2, 2023

Thank you for some of my best memories, You we´re like a second father to me. So sad we lost a wonderful person.

Virginia L Brogdon

February 2, 2023

May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

Kayla Hendershot

February 2, 2023

In loving memory of a wonderful person. We will love you and miss you always.

Kim Howard, RN

February 2, 2023

I still can´t believe Dr Williams has moved on from this world. I was blessed to work with him at Richmond Community Hospital when he was the ER Director and physician there. I learned so much from him. I wonder if he knew how many people adored and loved him.
He told me once that he grew up in Orange County, Va and he was helping a farmer whose cow was giving birth. He said helping to birth that calf is when he realized that he wanted to be a doctor. Years later he was driving for UPS when he was accepted into medical school and that´s when he told people that he wanted to be a doctor.
I think part of Dean´s charisma and lovability was his genuine down home personality along with his big smile and laugh. He touched so many lives in his brief time here. I can´t even fathom how many people will be at his service. I´m sure he´ll be smiling from above to see how everyone loved and respected him as a friend, a colleague and an ER physician. How lucky we all are to have known him!

Deborah Mayberry

February 2, 2023

AS an MCV ICU RN coming into the MCV ED, I was scared to death! Well one of the first wonderful faces & personality I met was Dr Dean Williams!! He took me under his wing and quickly showed me the ropes!! He had the most welcoming compassionate personality & I immediately just loved & respected him! He was an amazing physician, friend and man with an amazing SMILE and contagious personality. My heart is just broken, and he will be sorely missed. It was an honor to work beside such a great healer and all my heartfelt condolences to his family, many friends and colleagues.
Deb Mayberry, RN, BSN (MCV-VCU 30+ yr's)

Gerard & Cartora Nibbs

February 2, 2023

Our hearts were saddened when we heard of the passing of Dr. Dean Williams. He embraced me (as a CRNA coming from the
Caribbean) and recognized my skills, providing much encouragement along the way. Dr Dean was top notch..........truly the doctor for all in the community at MCV and Richmond Community!
We are praying for strength and comfort for the family during this difficult time.

"Miff" Terry Miffleton

February 2, 2023

I was heartbroken and saddened to hear Dr Dean had died. He was the Gold Standard of ER physicians.He readily shared his vast knowledge with all . He was witty, smart and compassionate. He made a very difficult job so much easier. Dr. Dean will be sorely missed. My deepest sympathy to all his family, coworkers and many friends. He was one in a million!

Les Kingslow, MD, FCCP

February 2, 2023

I was shocked to learn of the tragically Unexpected passing of Dean. Our friendship stems from my days as a green intern and he as my respected senior resident during my second month of my internship. What struck me and stood out most was his ability to be brilliant, purpose-filled, insightful, and in control, while animated and demanding of excellence in the midst of the chaos of medical training, medical urgencies, medical crises, and duress. Dean can be a pistol; But was smart as a whip. Emergency medicine matched his intentional responsiveness to the urgency of medical crisis. With that, he most always reflected equanimity in patient care. And you knew instantly, that as an MD, he knew his stuff and the lives he cared for were in the BEST of hands.

Dean, my goodness, he was an amazing teacher. Readily and with an amazing ease, Dean had a confidence and comfort about him which afforded him the ability to excel in spaces like MCV as a teacher and practitioner, where in the 1980s, black physicians like us were exceedingly few and far between, and still, in more circles than any would hope, where we were not always welcomed by the rank and file and the leadership. In these spaces, Dean commanded a presence and regard, not only by his sheer confidence, but by his eloquence with intellect, scholarship, command of medical information and practical patient know how and interaction.

One mutual friend of Deans who grew up with Dean, once share with me this, that as children...Dean made it cool to be "book smart". In our season, Dean was a avid weight lifter and former high school football start, but medical expertise was his calling card that he exuded and it was evidence of his studious repose.

Understand, MCV made great docs....and Dean was at the top of that list.

Our friendship sustained itself as it turned from senior resident/ ER attending and flunky intern/resident to one of peers as he and I grew as friends, brief room mates, running buddies, and colleagues. We enjoyed hanging out, partying together, intellectual diatribes and debate, and a genuine enjoyment of friendship. And although through the years our lives drew us in different directions and out contact waned, he remained fond in my memories of our days together in Richmond, at RCH, at Retreat, and being buds.

May the children know that their father was loved, loved by many and well appreciated. May the entire extending family reflect with fondness on how Dean touched and influenced so many lives and was the default `primary care ER doc for the entire East End of Richmond´, and may they appreciate, that my experience with Dean, was that he was a man of all the people, whose calling was to save lives and stamp out disease and who made it principal in his life´s work to built strong children and to appreciate and lift the humanity in each life he engaged.

TomL

February 1, 2023

Dean was tops on both my lists of physicians I'd seek out to discuss medical matters and friends I enjoyed working with. He put the fun in emergency but was also one I'd feel relieved was caring for a family member. We medics are mourning the loss of a partner

William "Eric" Ashley

February 1, 2023

A sad few days...

Gail and I learned of the untimely death of Dr Dean C. Williams...

I developed a realtionship with Dean through RASI and Henrico Volunter Rescue Squad... Through our interactions, I accepted employment with Richmond Community... I was blessed with caring work family...

During this time, I met Gail through work... We each had little and Dean encouaged us to dream and achieve more than we´re were at the time...

I asked Gail to be my wife... My work family shared in our joyous beginning together... Beth as a Maid of Honor, Dean as standing in for her departed fathter, and Crit and everyone else helping us begin our journey...

I was blessed with a work environment that provided real learning and understand of Pre-hospital Medicine... On top of that, Dean gave me the precious gift of my Wife...

I can never explain the role Dean played in our lives... I witnessed the save love and giving with everyone he interacted with!

Thank You Dean for the time a piece of yourself that you un unselfishly shared with us!

Your fried,

Eric

Patricia Turner -Wilkins

February 1, 2023

Dr. Sean Williams will be greatly missed. I first met Dean when he and Dr. Ed Rock worked in the emergency room. Then Dr. Williams worked at St. Mary´s Ed and how he took very good care of my mother. He always treated his patients with dignity and respect. He will be truly missed in the Emergency room. My prayers goes out to your Family.

Grace R

February 1, 2023

My deepest condolences to the family. RIP Dr Dean you were the best ER Doctor always was there when I needed a family member or patient to be taken care of. Will truly miss you. Praying for your family and staff of BonSecours

Ms. Keva Bates

January 31, 2023

My deepest condolences go to the family of Dr. Dean Williams. R.I.H. Dean

Jay G

January 31, 2023

I remember the early days in the ER before VCU started the EM residency. You were always a good friend to EMS providers and most importantly our students. Rest easy my friend.

Jean cheek

January 30, 2023

My prayers are with you as you navigate this difficult time!

Valeta

January 30, 2023

Dr. Williams was a smart doctor, a good doctor, and a down to earth personality. He always treated Emergency Medical Services as an extension of Emergency care. He smiled so much. When you turned a patient over to him he took the time to truly listen to your report and he always treated you with respect.
The loss to the medical community can't be measured.
My heartfelt condolences go to his family.
Clearly the person he was is a direct reflection of his family.
There are no words that can take the pain away but know that he is in a far better place.
Take care of yourselves.
Hugs and prayers to you.

John Futrell

January 30, 2023

So saddened to hear that Dean´s gone! He touched, educated, mentored and supported a huge amount of EMT´s, Medics, P.A.´s Physicians, Nurses, and thousands of allied health workers. If you knew Dean, you knew his smile!! I met Dean in 1992/1993 as a Richmond Medic. He was on The Richmond Ambulance Board of Directors. I worked alongside him as an E/R Tech at Richmond Community Hospital! Dean WAS, Richmond Community Hospital! We joke as we say that he was the City of Richmond´s Primary Care Physician!! He loved people, and cared for the masses!! His death has brought so many of us back together again, as we share stories, reminisce, and express our sadness! Rest Easy Dr Williams!!

CJ Graves

January 30, 2023

So saddened to hear of Dean's passing. I will forever remember his kind and generous heart. I have so many stories from RCH ER and the years we worked together. A fantastic doctor, and man. He will be greatly missed!