Thomas "Tommy" Ralph Williams

Thomas "Tommy" Ralph Williams was born on November 22, 1949. After a courageous battle with leukemia, Tommy died on February 16, 2011 at Lennox Hill Hospital in New York, New York. He is the son of Edith W. Williams and the late Thomas B. Williams of Morganton, North Carolina.He attended Morganton High School, Western Piedmont Community College, the University of North Carolina in Charlotte, and The Art Institute of New York City, where he lived a wonderfully full life for most of his adult years.He served as a Corpsman in the United States Navy and upon his discharge worked as a physician’s assistant and office manager for Dr. David Fleiss, an orthopedic surgeon in Manhattan. Tommy took patient care very seriously and found real value in the relationships established through his work.Tommy was a member of the Saint Thomas Episcopal Church in New York where he found fulfilled pleasure in worshipping his Lord.In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by his sister Linda Marie Williams. He is survived by his mother, sister Janet Elizabeth King and husband Philip of Winston Salem, North Carolina, and a number of nieces and nephews and their children.Tommy’s dry wit, love of art and style, cultural exploration, and care for those he loved will be missed terribly.A Celebration of Tommy’s life will be held 11:00 A.M. Saturday, February 26, 2011 at Grace Episcopal Church, Morganton, NC with the Reverend Bruce Walker and Reverend Dr. Thomas A. Bland, Jr. officiating. Burial will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends Friday from 6:00 – 8:00 P.M. at Sossoman Funeral Home & Crematory Center. Memorial contributions may be made to Burke Hospice and Palliative Care, 1721 Enon Rd., Valdese, NC 28690.