Joan Williams

Joan Sheila Williams was born in Yonkers, New York, on July 24, 1920, the youngest daughter of eight children. When she was eight years old, her family moved to Mount Vernon, New York, where she graduated from Thomas Edison High School. Following graduation, she joined the Dominican Sisters Community at Newburgh, New York, where she took her vows as Sister Mary Sheila Williams.

Sister Mary Sheila subsequently received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Villanova University and a Master's degree from Catholic University in Washington, DC, in 1963. Sister Mary Sheila taught at numerous parochial schools throughout the New York and New Jersey area and served as Principal of Holy Family School in New Rochelle, New York. She also served at Mount Saint Mary's College in Newburgh, in the position of Student Teacher Supervisor. In many of these assignments, she also worked as the institutional librarian.

In 1983, after over 25 years in the Dominican Order, Joan left the convent and moved to North Carolina, where she worked as an elementary school teacher for five years. She later moved to  Central Florida, where she served as the Librarian for the Central Florida Community College. After setting up the new library there, she retired in 1997 and moved to Sugarmill Woods, where she was active in the Sugarmill Chorale, St. Benedict Choir, St. Thomas Choir and Homosassa State Wildlife Park.

Joan was predeceased by her sisters Cecilia Carmody and Marie Albert and brothers Mike, Edward, Joseph, William and Raymond Williams.

She is mourned by many nieces and nephews and grand and great grand nieces and nephews and friends and associates throughout the country.

A Memorial Mass will be held at St. Benedicts Catholic Church in Crystal River on Friday, March 18, 2016 at 11:00 AM