Fannie Colley Williams, aged 89, passed away on May 26, 2023.

Fannie was born Fannie Councilwilha Colley on May 5, 1934 to James Council Colley and Fannie Stallworth Colley in Birmingham, Alabama. Sadly, her mother died in 1943 which led to Fannie and her older brother Jasco being taken in and raised by their loving grandparents Enoch and Hattie Barnes Stallworth in Baldwin Farms, Alabama.

Growing up, she was an outstanding student which led to her being valedictorian of her graduating class of 1952 at Tuskegee Institute Prairie Farms Laboratory School in Shorter, AL. Because of her academic excellence, she earned an academic scholarship to Tuskegee Institute (now known as Tuskegee University). She was an outstanding student there as well eventually earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education in 1956. This led to her first teaching job teaching high school English in McCrae, Georgia.

While a coed at Tuskegee Institute, she went on a blind date at the urging of her close friend with an Air Force veteran and fellow Tuskegee Institute student named Howard Arthur Williams Jr. This led to more dates and an eventual proposal from Howard and an acceptance from Fannie. They were married on June 18, 1957 in Tuskegee. Very soon thereafter they relocated to Cheyenne, Wyoming where Howard worked as an electrician at Warren Air Force base. Their time in Cheyenne saw the birth of their first child and only daughter Elaine.

A new job for Howard took the Williams family to Page, Arizona in 1961 where their second child and first son Bruce was born. In 1965 the family moved to Flagstaff. A year later, the family relocated to Leupp, Arizona on the Navajo Reservation after Fannie accepted a teaching job at Leupp Boarding School. She taught there three years before accepting a job teaching English at Flagstaff Junior High School in 1969. This resulted in the family returning to and settling down in Flagstaff where their youngest child and second son James was born. She taught at Flagstaff Junior High School until she retired in 1997.

During her life in Flagstaff, she volunteered for a variety of community organizations, taught Sunday school and was a public speaker at a variety of events through the years. She earned a master's degree at Northern Arizona University and taught a literature course at NAU. In addition, she was a member of the education international honor society, Kappa Delta Pi, an honor she was very proud of. Above all, she was a devout Christian who attended East Flagstaff Church of Christ, Flagstaff Church of Christ and Greenlaw Baptist Church over the years while a Flagstaff resident.

Fannie was preceded in death by her son James Howard Williams, brother Jasco Colley, father James Council Colley, mother Fannie Stallworth Colley, uncles and aunts Thomas and Argie Stallworth and Edward and Claudia Stallworth and cousin Lionel Stallworth.

She is survived by her devoted husband of almost 66 years Howard, daughter Elaine Williams, son Bruce Williams, daughter-in-law Stacee Johnson-Williams , grandsons Donovan, Alex, Myles and Mason Williams as well as sister-in-law Margaret Colley, nephew Justin Colley, nieces Felicia Colley and Denise McClain Dukes, cousins Thomas, Anderson and Don Stallworth and sister Dianna Beatty and family Tim, Nate and Colette. As well as numerous other loving cousins and friends who will miss her immensely.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 17th at 11am at NPHX Flagstaff Church located at 3400 E. Lockett Rd Flagstaff, AZ 86004. Visitation will be Friday, June 16th, 5pm-7pm at Norvel Owens Mortuary located at 914 E. Route 66 Flagstaff, Arizona 86001.

We are asking that donations in memory of Fannie C. Williams be directed to her alma mater, Tuskegee University's School of Education (Fund ID# R2795) where she received an excellent education.