Who is ....
Joyce Williams Adams
The Life of Joyce Williams Adams
Joyce A. Williams-Adams was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 22, 1954, to the union of Walter and Amanda Williams, as the fourth child of their five daughters, Deborah Jackson (William), Anna Carol Williams, Elaine Glasper, Janice Alexander (Michael).
On today however, her “siblings” also include other life long, kindred friends and sisters: Beatrice Ivory, Janise Harris-Smith (Ray), Patricia Pike (Russell), Markita Flowers, and Charletta Hendricks.
As a young child Joyce confessed a faith in Christ at Greater Salem M.B. Church and as a young adult Joyce later renewed her faith in the Lord after she made her membership with New Covenant M.B. Church, under the leadership of Pastor Stephen John Thurston, where Joyce began to allow her spiritual faith to guide her life decisions, and she became a very strong Christian. In the early 90’s’s Joyce established a membership with her present church, under the Pastorate of her father, Pastor Walter Williams of Stranger’s Home M.B Church, where she served in the teaching ministry and on the Pastor’s aid Board until her earthly departure. More importantly, however, Joyce’s spirit of joy and praise was never to be absent, whether at church or not, as an increasing benefit of influence and encouragement to anyone in her presence. There was no doubt that Jesus was not only the love of Joyce’s life, but that “Jesus was her Life”
Joyce was a person of great intellect and aspired to become a medical doctor. To that end she adamantly devoted herself to higher education, following her elementary and high school years within the Chicago Public School System. Joyce attended the University of Illinois at Circle Campus in Chicago, where she obtained two Masters Degrees that led her to a 20 year career in high level banking at the Continental Bank of Illinois, from the late 70’s to the early 90’s.
Within those years, Joyce cultivated the relationships with her “other siblings, as mentioned above and became the adopted mother to the children of her lifelong friends whose names are: Fallon and Paul Jr. Flowers (Markita), and Jennie Pike (Pat and Russell), who today bear the marks of Joyce’s influence in their lives as persons of strong faith in God, as well as in the demonstration of strong ambition and motivation for success.
Because of her birth order, Joyce cultivated a mentality and lived an “only child life style” that was always open to experience life through opportunities, such as overseas travel, which she did on a regular basis with her friend Janise Harris-Smith and, as often as they could they traveled to Europe and vacationed together to the “beaches of the world”.
During this time, also, Joyce became an advocate of literacy and through volunteerism she began to teach reading to the illiterate on her off- hours from work and school. It became evident through Joyce’s lifestyle that living life through relationship building was very important to her.
Following Joyce’s tenure with Continental Bank, Joyce was forced into a career change through the bank’s lay-off, and so she began certifying herself in the educational arena in special education. For the last 15 years Joyce has impacted the lives of young people, educationally, motivationally and inspirationally through the Chicago Public School system. Her last assignment was with the South Shore High School in their school of Leadership, where she held many responsibilities of leadership and instruction. Through her tenure there, Joyce has become known as a person of high regard by many of her colleagues, who have shown themselves to be very appreciative of her character, her friendship and her strong work ethics.
Faith and family was absolutely foundational to Joyce. She was the life of every gathering, with her quick wit and spontaneity. She loved to give and was totally selfless in doing so. As a daughter to her parents, Joyce never ceased to shower them with love, in any way she could, and as an aunt, Joyce never ceased to bend over backwards to make herself available to nurture the children of her siblings. Everyone and everybody was singularly important to Joyce, who also was well known as a neighbor who cared, through the many acts of kindness that she sought and shared with those in need or with those who were bereaved..
In 1993, Joyce re-met and married the love of her life, Tarell Adams, who was her high school sweetheart and to that union was born their only child, Ms. Ashley Adams, who took up the “only child lifestyle of her mother. For the past 18 years, Tarell, Joyce and Ashley have been an inseparable trio of strong family ties which can be evidenced by the level of maturity, ambition, focus and personal achievement of their daughter, who as a young person, has become a great over-comer of many adversities of chronic family illness. In spite of their challenges, however, Joyce and Tarell never allowed themselves to demonstrate discouragement. They loved one another faithfully until Joyce made her transition on Christmas Day, December 25, 2011,
Joyce leaves to cherish her memory, her husband, Tarell and their daughter Ashley Adams, the family members of her in-laws, Mr. and Mrs. Adams, along with her own family and parents, Walter and Amanda Williams. Joyce also has a host of loving nephews and nieces, who will always remember her as a “down to earth, tell it like it is auntie” She also leaves to cherish her memory, all of her natural and engrafted siblings, a host of extended relatives as well as her life long friends, and all of the special relationships she has established along the path of life, all of which are too many to name, but are none the less a testimony to a life that has been very well lived.
Last but not least, Joyce’s memory will live on in the hearts of many, many friends and associates whose paths she has crossed and made an eternal impact upon, through her loving kindness and tender mercies. The rest of the story is yet to be seen and told. Only time will tell the legacy impact of Joyce A. Williams-Adams who will be remembered as a person who truly lived well. To know her was to love her!
DOUBLE BLESSINGS TO THOSE WHO HEAR AND BELIEVE....
