Rebecca Abigail Longmire Williams of Clinton, Tennessee, much loved mother, wife, grandmother, great grandmother and friend passed away peacefully surrounded by her entire family on October 23, 2024, at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge.

She lived life joyfully, filling it for 92 years with family, faith, friends and selfless service.

Becky was born October 15, 1932, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Charles and Rose Longmire of Andersonville, Tennessee.  One of 10 children and the last surviving sibling, she grew up on the family dairy farm in Andersonville.  After Norris High School, she earned a degree in Library Sciences at East Tennessee State University, graduating magna cum laude.  She was a sister of Kappa Delta sorority and was named to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities.

After graduation Becky began a long and extraordinarily influential career as a librarian in Anderson County Schools, Clinton City Schools, and Clinton Public Library.  She loved books, loved to read, and took great pleasure in sharing this love with children.  At Clinton Public Library the children's library is dedicated to "Miss Becky's Children" in honor of her many years serving the young, molding her community's future through the life skill of reading.

Becky was not just a librarian but an educator in the truest sense.  Children were drawn to her as someone they could turn to for help with any school challenge; and she was frequently seen at a library table helping those who came.

Responding to a special request by the school system, she jumped at the opportunity to establish and direct the first library at Clinton's Green McAdoo School, while serving concurrently as Clinton Elementary School librarian.

In the early 1960s, pursuing a master's degree in library sciences at the University of Tennessee, she became aware of a new federal program that would aid many disadvantaged children all over Anderson County - the Head Start program.  This became her course of study and dissertation.  Becky made the connections and did the work which brought Head Start to Anderson County; and it still goes strong today.

In 1955, Becky married the late Allan Lee Williams and they made Clinton, Tennessee, their forever home.  She was active in both church and community - a dedicated member of Memorial United Methodist Church at Clinton for 69 years.  At Memorial she served on many boards and committees.  Because she treasured children, she taught Sunday School and was a Methodist Youth Fellowship leader.

Becky was a project director of the Clinton pilot for the Tennessee Historical Society's Tennessee Homecoming '86 which among other things produced the book "Clinton - An Identity Rediscovered."  She subsequently represented Clinton on the Tennessee 200 Bicentennial Celebration Committee.  She was also a longtime member of Wednesday Club in Clinton.

Becky loved abundantly and was beloved in return.  She is preceded in death by her husband, parents, sisters Ruth, Elizabeth, Bobbie, Mary and Nancy, and brothers Mayo, Hubert, Hobart and David, in-laws Lee Basel Williams and wife, Katherine, and Sheriff Kenneth Caldwell and wife, Dottie.

Left to cherish her memory are daughter Melissa Ann and husband Richard Snead of Clinton, son Charles Allan Williams and wife Yvonne of St. Simons Island, Georgia, grandchildren Richard S. Snead and wife Adrienne of Columbus, Ohio, Laura Snead of Clinton and Abigail Williams of Kennesaw, Georgia, and great grandsons Richard W. and Campbell S. Snead of Columbus.

She leaves behind sisters-in-law Mary Helen Longmire and Mary Ann Longmire of Andersonville, Tennessee, and many special nieces, nephews, and cousins, but was especially close to cousin Dr. Mark Caldwell and wife, Suzanne, of Clinton, nephew Robert Longmire and wife, Jill, of Andersonville, and special friend Felicia Reynolds of Clinton.

The family wishes to extend a special thank you for the loving care Miss Becky received from the staff at Canterfield of Oak Ridge and also caregiver Vicky Donald.

Receiving of friends will be Friday, 01 November, at 11:00 AM at Memorial United Methodist Church at Clinton with the funeral service following at 12:30PM.  Burial will immediately follow at Grandview Memorial Garden, Clinton.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial may be made in honor of Rebecca Williams to St. Jude's Children's Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html?express=0&sc_icid=mem-lp-donate-bttn-top&frequency_selected=0&product_code=ECGLMMENAMemorialRiveredge),