Daisy Marieta Jones
Williams was born on a Sunday morning in her family’s home on August 19,
1934 to Jestine K. Davis and Sidney Jones in Raleigh, North Carolina.
During the first decade of her life she would experience life parented by
her: mother, a young, divorced, single parent yet surrounded by a loving
extended family until Melvin Davis would join them as a wonderful father.
Daisy was educated at Crosby Garfield and Washington High in Raleigh, North
Carolina. She was a member of the Double Four, with seven of her closest
classmates before high school graduation and matriculating at Hampton
Institute in 1952. She first majored in Business, then her calling, Early
childhood Education. She graduated in 1956 and wed the love of her life,
Lenton James Lonnie Williams on December 26, 1956. She taught fourth
through sixth grades in
Portsmouth, Virginia while her husband served in the Army. Upon return
to Raleigh they completed their family with two children, Greta and Xavier.
Daisy was a devoted mother, wife and Christian. She supported her
husband as he opened his dental laboratory in 1969. Together, they built a
great family life. Her spiritual growth began at First Baptist church in
Raleigh, North Carolina. Years later she joined her husband as a member of Springfield
Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Daisy was an inactive member of
the omicron zeta chapter of zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated. She was
also a member of the former Payron Valley #102 Order of the Eastern Star.
However, it was her church activities that would become the focus of her
attention in the community. She was active in a number of capacities until
her health began to fail including the development of the church library,
chairing the History Committee, the first directress of the Intermediate
choir, a member of the gospel and missionary choirs, work with Sunday
School, Vacation Bible School and as a deaconess.
Daisy ignited a smile with family, friends, acquaintances, and
especially, with children. She was a masterful educator. She chose to teach
the first grade for the majority of her career as it allowed her to
evaluate how well she taught each child. She required the highest
accountability of herself for giving her students solid skills and a
positive self concept on which to build their educational career. Her
success was apparent year after
year in the thank you notes from parents, as well as invitations years
later to graduations and even weddings of former students. She taught at
Fuquay in the Wake County school system before teaching in the Raleigh City
school system at Lucille Hunter, Fuller Elementary, Mary E. Phillips and
Washington Elementary. She was up for the challenge of integration of the
school system. She and her neighbor, Mrs. Adelaide Earp would work at Frances
Lacy Elementary and carpool for many years. It was during her tenure at
Frances Lacy that she was nominated "Teacher of the year". She
retired in 1990 after 30
years of service to the wake county public School System. However, her
work would not end there. She worked with Lenton in his dental laboratory
for several more years.
Daisy was very creative. It was certainly one of her secret weapons in
charming her students and children in general. She always had the best
executed projects and activities. She shared all of that talent in multiple
settings at church with the Intermediate choir, in the Rockview Subdivision
neighborhood activities and definitely when cooking for any event that
needed one of her savory dishes as well as fiends and family who weren’t up
to cooking for themselves. Her sewing revealed that same talent, and
attention to detail in the dolls, comforters and window treatments she
made. She and her husband were equally yoked in their fascination with
creating or recreating things with their
upholstery projects.
Daisy lived with various health challenges throughout her adult life.
However, in February of 2003, Daisy was forced to retire from many of her
cherished activities due to a major stroke. She continued to meet each
challenge with her quiet manner, strong resolve and continuous loving
spirit. Always a teacher, she shared life lessons of humility and
perseverance. She was a role model extraordinaire of quiet, Christian
living until leaving her earthly home on July 31, 2013 at Rex Hospital in
Raleigh, North Carolina.
Daisy was preceded in death by her parents and husband, and leaves to
cherish her memory, her children Greta w. Gill and Xavier G Williams, Sr.;
grandchildren, Aubre E. Williams and Xavier G. Williams, Jr. all of
Raleigh; special cousins, Edward Kearney, North Hempstead, NY; Lillie W.
Coode, Chesapeake, VA, Gillis Watson, Buffalo, New York, Dolores U. Walker,
Kernersville, NC, Joycelyn C. Davenport (Breon), Hampton, VA. Delores B.
Brown (Steve), Raleigh, NC; special nephew, Milton R. Williams, Raleigh,
NC; Four brothers-in-law, Ulice H. Williams, Pete C. Williams, (Florine),
Charles peppers, Isaiah Goodson, three sisters-in-law, Emma' W. Davidson,
Shirley W. Tomlinson (George) and Audrey W. Williams, all of Raleigh and a
host of nieces, nephews, and extended family. Additionally, Daisy had
special friends, Frances R. Sledge, Dorothy C. Thompson, Carolyn C. Wright
and wonderful caretakers, Petrina Giles, Sherbert Rankins, Mary J. Dunston,
Galinda Joyner, Lula Frances Morrison and her first caretaker,
daughter-in-law, Kimberly Mills Williams.
