Terry S. Williams' Obituary
Williams
Decatur-Terry S. Williams, 66, of Decatur, peacefully at rest 6:45 pm Thursday, December 10, 2009 at McKinley Court Care Centre.
Services to celebrate Terry’s life will be held at 10:00 am Thursday, December 17, 2009 at Graceland/Fairlawn Funeral Home. Visitation will be held from 5-7 pm Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at the funeral home. Interment will be at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Deer Creek, IL. Memorial contributions may be sent to American Cancer Society. Online condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.gracelandfairlawn.com.
Terry was born December 17, 1942 in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Joliet, Illinois, the son of Bob and Laverne (Sprankle) Williams. He married Marian Hammer on August 16, 1970 in Pekin, Illinois. She preceded him in death on December 7, 1992.
He graduated from Joliet Township High School and Joliet Junior College. He received a B.A. from Northern Illinois University, an M.A. from Michigan State University, and a Masters of Fine Arts from Illinois State University. A retired Professor of Theater from Milikin University in Decatur, he got his start in teaching at Eureka College. In 1970 Terry became the Professor of speech/theater at Eureka where he expanded the theater curriculum to include providing a major in speech/theater. The significance of this major which included courses such as technical theater, history, and direction that it still serves as the basis for the colleges current theater program. Also, his work in production marked new levels of excellence for the program at Eureka. Among his well received productions were: The Importance of Being Ernest, JB, The Lady’s Not For Burning, A Company of Wayward Saints, Antigone, and a world premiere of Less Forsell’s The Coronation. Terry was inducted into the Eureka College Fine Arts Hall of Fame on May 7, 1999.
He will be sadly missed by his one son: Thomas Williams, daughter in law Laina Williams, one granddaughter: Lauren Williams, one sister: Judy Boylan and her husband Joe of New Lenox, IL, one niece: Beth Kane and one nephew: Chris Boylan, one cousin Bud Knight of Dallas, TX and one brother in law: Paul Hammer along his wife Giuliana Hammer and their son Eric of Hegnach, Germany.
He was reunited in Heaven with his wife: Marian, and his parents, Bob and Laverne Williams, and his father and mother in law Chester and Alta May Hammer.
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