Horace R. Williams

Horace R. Williams, 94, of Florence passed away on Thursday, May 25, 2023. Born in Banks, Arkansas, he was the son of the late George L. Williams and Marjorie Smith Williams. While attending high school in Richmond Hill, Georgia, he met the love of his life, Mildred Parker. They married in 1951, raised four children, and spent over 70 years together until Mildred’s passing in 2021. He joined the US Air Force in 1947, and served for over 23 years, rising to the rank of CMSGT. His career included assignments in the Philippine Islands, Washington, Greenland, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Hawaii, and California. He was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for meritorious service in 1963, the Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding meritorious service in 1969, and the Air Force Commendation Medal First Oak Leaf Cluster for meritorious service in 1971. Upon retiring from the military, Horace worked at General Electric in Florence. He was employed there for 20 years and was a member of the team that helped develop the MRI for GE. Horace was a loyal fan of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team and an avid fisherman. He also enjoyed woodworking and reading. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by Mildred Williams, his beloved wife of 70 years, his brother, Smith Williams, and his sister, Mary Dura. Surviving are his children: Jeanette McKlveen of Lexington, SC, Patricia Clayton (Philip) of Myrtle Beach, SC, Glenn Williams (Mary) of Phoenix, AZ, Gregg Williams (Stephanie) of Florence, SC. He is also survived by sisters Flora Jean Carpenter of Richmond Hill, GA, and Nancy Nixon (Jack) of Chattanooga, TN, eight grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the entire staff at The Manor for the loving and compassionate care they gave to “Mr. Horace,” in both Independent Living and Skilled Care. The family is also extremely grateful to the physical therapy team that went above and beyond to help Horace. The family will receive friends at Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home on Thursday, June 1, at 11:00 AM. The funeral service will be held at 12:00 PM in the chapel at Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home. Burial will follow at 1:00 PM at Florence National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Manor General Fund, 2100 Twin Church Road, Florence, SC, 29501.