Lonnie Faye Williams

Lonnie Fay Williams packed an abundance of love, strength, and spirit in the petite earthly body she inhabited for 97 years before moving on to her heavenly home Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. Always with a smile on her face and sparkles in her eyes, Lonnie was a classy lady who never met a stranger. 

Born on her grandmother’s farm in Carter, OK Oct. 21, 1927 to Annie and William Woods, Lonnie lived a full life of family, friends, and accomplishments. She loved reminiscing about playing high school basketball, laughing about how her quickness made up for lack of height. Her friends at the Northside YMCA still talk about witnessing Lonnie do a cartwheel on the gym floor to celebrate her 80th birthday! 

Lonnie met the love of her life Bernie Williams on a blind date at Oklahoma State University in 1946, and they married Feb. 19, 1949. She earned a liberal arts bachelor’s degree and worked at Southwestern Bell before she and Bernie had two beautiful daughters Kerri and Ardyth. The girls quickly became Lonnie’s center of her attention, but did not negate her passion for volunteering for causes that mattered or joining friends on the golf course or for a round of bridge with one of her two bridge groups. She played golf at Quail Creek Country Club into her 80’s and was known for making new members to the Club feel welcome. Her faith was also very important to her, and she was a longtime member of Church of the Servant.

Following her daughter Kerri’s fight with breast cancer, Lonnie became an active advocate and national spokesperson for cancer prevention, including 12 years on the National Cancer Center Advisory Board and 17 years with the Integris Cancer Center. She previously had volunteered with Dean McGee Eye Institute and the OK Medical Foundation. 

A member of two book clubs, Lonnie was a voracious reader and especially enjoyed a good Agatha Christy murder mystery. Before she met Bernie, she had dreamed of becoming a Russian spy, but dashed those plans to build her family and later enjoy travels to Isreal, Alaska, Canada, and Italy. 

Lonnie loved her family dearly, and her faith, strength, and resilience saw her through losses of several family members: brother Jim Woods, husband Bernie, daughter Kerri Williams Gilbert, and grandsons Christopher and Matthew. Remaining to deeply miss her are daughter Ardyth Jimerson, granddaughter Karah Purser (Chad), great-granddaughters Kedrynn and Maisie Jimerson, and son-in-law John Gilbert. 

The family wishes to thank care-givers who gave her love and comfort in recent years including Karah Purser, Ana de Garcia, and Enhabit Hospice. Gifts to the American Cancer Society or Dean A. McGee Eye Institute would honor Lonnie’s life and memory. 

A celebration of Lonnie’s life will be held at Smith & Kernke Funeral Home 14624 N. May Ave. Oklahoma City, 11:00 am Thursday, February 20th.