Virginia Smith Williams

Virginia 'Jenny' Smith Williams, 88, of Conyers died on October 15, 2023, in her home. She was born on June 4, 1935, to Matibel Burnette Smith and Elmer Lee Smith in Loganville, Georgia. She graduated from Loganville High School in 1953. She was a pioneer in the communications industry, starting as a telephone operator before becoming one of the first female switch technicians at Southern Bell. She climbed thirteen-foot ladders every day wearing her trusty tool belt, connecting telephone wires to the main network at the corporate office. She worked there for forty years until her retirement in 1994. During retirement, she devoted her time to her garden and her community. She truly had a green thumb and grew a bounty of vegetables every year, sharing with friends and family. You could often find her in the yard, picking peas, pulling weeds, or tending flowers. Her yard was always an explosion of color, from morning glories to her prized Japanese maple. When she wasn't working in her garden or spending time with family, she volunteered with various groups around Rockdale County, beginning with Creative Ministries Thrift Store. She also loved reading books, especially the Bible, good fiction, and mysteries. To share her love of books with her community, she volunteered with the Friends of the Nancy Guinn Library for twenty years and even served on the board. You could find her there every week, organizing and shelving books. She was also active with the Gum Creek Presbyterian Church Food Ministry in Oxford. Special thanks to the many dedicated and caring healthcare workers who recognized her indomitable spirit over the years, helping her through two broken hips and two cancers, thus enabling her to spend more precious time with her family and in her garden. Often called 'Nan' by both family and friends, she was known for her unwavering faith, love of family, wit, and wisdom. She will be lovingly remembered by her family. Virginia is survived by her devoted children Teresa Williams (Gwen Ellington) and Kevin Williams (Belinda 'Jill' Williams); her grandchildren Jessica Williams and Bailey Reese; sisters Shirley Babcock, Faye Smith, and Linda Wilson; and brothers- and sisters-in-law Bernice Smith, Shirley Smith, Lynn Moore, Larry Clayton, Linda Smith, and Versel Burt; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Vinson Eugene Williams; her son Kenneth Williams; and her siblings Helen McKinnon, James 'Bud' Smith, Donald Smith, Carolyn Farmer, Connie Moore, Charlotte Clayton, and Jax Smith. Visitation will be on October 18th, 2023 at 12:00 P.M. at Scot Ward Funeral Services, located at 699 American Legion Rd NE in Conyers, GA. Funeral services will start at 2:00 P.M. with the Rev. Bobbie Wrenn Banks and Rev. Becky Baker officiating. Interment will follow at Sharon Baptist Church in Loganville. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society www.cancer.org or your local food pantry. Condolences may be submitted on-line at www.scotward.com. Scot Ward Funeral Services, 699 American Legion Road, Conyers, GA 30012, 770-483-7216.

Virginia Smith Williams

June 4, 1935 - October 15, 2023