Bennie R. Williams died at his home in Gardendale, Alabama, on Monday, December 11, 2017. He was 86 years old. Graduating from Mortimer Jordan High School in 1949 with “decent” grades, Bennie was very active with his class, student government, and with baseball and basketball. It was through his love of sports that he met “the prettiest girl” he had ever seen. He married that girl, Mary Evelyn Johnson, and they spent almost 60 years together before her death in 2011. Bennie joined the Navy after the Korean War broke out and, gratefully, he was never deployed to fight. He ended up on the basketball teams at two of his naval bases. He and Mary moved to his assigned bases, living in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Eventually, they would return to the Birmingham area and start a family. He became an electrical engineer and worked for the Southern Company.

Funeral services for Mr. Williams will be Friday, December 15, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at Ridout’s Elmwood Chapel with visitation on Thursday December 14, 2017 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Ridout’s Elmwood Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, to honor Bennie, please donate money, goods, or services to someone you know needs help at this time, or to an organization that works with the homeless or families in need.

Ben considered his life “A Lifetime of God’s Providence,” and chronicled his journey in a book with the same title. It was not a life without sorrow. His firstborn child, Charles (Chuck) became ill and died at age 12. But, with the help of faith, family and friends, Mary and Bennie kept moving forward and dedicated their lives to supporting and helping others. While Bennie had always been a man of devout faith, he surprised many when he left his engineering job in the 70s to serve the church fulltime. He credited his beloved parents, Therman and Alice, for his strong work ethic and his deep faith. He worked with several congregations of the Church of Christ in and around the Birmingham area. Eventually, he and Mary returned to Gardendale Church of Christ where he would continue his ministry. Bennie had an easy, hearty laugh. He was a creative story-teller with a quick wit, as is his surviving brother T.J., Jr. Even their younger twin sisters who are now both deceased (Mary and Sue) loved to rival their brothers’ sense of humor. T.J. and his wife Aline have always been a strong source of moral support for Ben, but their love and loyalty became even more precious to him after he lost his wife. Bennie loved his daughters, Paula and Carol, and Rod, whom he called “son.” As a parent, he modeled a life of caring and compassion. In lieu of flowers, to honor Bennie, please donate money, goods, or services to someone you know needs help at this time, or to an organization that works with the homeless or families in need.