Garfield Williams, Jr.

Garfield Williams Jr. was born on March 3, 1930, to Lou Carter and Garfield Williams, Sr. in (Kempsville) Princess Anne County, Virginia. He was the youngest of their seven children. God called him home on Wednesday, April 11 ,2018. Garfield attended Norfolk County Schools. As a child, he attended Saint Andrews AME Church in Virginia Beach (Queen City). In his early years, Garfield was very athletic excelling in basketball and track and field. Horseback riding was something he enjoyed as well. He was a shoe shiner in downtown Norfolk as a young boy and later worked as a dishwasher and waiter at Woolworth. He was also employed with Portlock Producing Company. He enjoyed watching old western movies and the first movie he ever saw was Stormy Weather. He attended Virginia State College majoring in physical education. He was in the United States Army and completed basic training at Fort Smith, Arkansas and was later stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. When he came back to Virginia he proposed to the love of his life, Doris and they were married on July 10, 1953. They spent some time in Georgia but returned to Virginia around 1955. Here in Virginia, they raised their five children, Paula, Derwin, Carlton, Garfield, III, and Kevin. During that time, he and Doris joined New Hope Baptist Church under the leadership of Dr. Reid and later Rev. Charles Bowens. He worked for 28 years at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and retired from there in 1992. He was also a counselor at CBN for many years. Garfield Williams was a natural born singer. While at New Hope, you would always find Garfield in the choir and most often the lead soloist on Sunday. At New Hope, he was a Sunday School teacher and in 1996, ordained as a deacon at New Hope. If you did not see Garfield and Doris on second Sundays at New Hope, you would find them worshiping with his friend Rev. Addison Brown at Father and Son and Holy Spirit Church of Grace in Chesapeake where he would also be singing to the glory of God. He is preceded in death by his son Garfield, III. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, oris; his daughter Paula Sunkins of Chesapeake, his sons Derwin Williams of Chesapeake, Carlton Williams of Portsmouth and Kevin Williams of Huntsville, Alabama; four grandchildren, Anthony Sunkins, Tangie Fields, Tinesha Boone and Kevin C. Williams; seven great grandchildren and one great, great grandchild and a host of beloved relatives and friends. I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:

Garfield Williams, Jr.

March 3, 1930 - April 11, 2018