Franklin Williams - Obituary

ranklin P. Williams, Jr., 89, of Ft. Washington, MD died May 27, 2013. He was the son of the late Lt. Commander Franklin P. Williams and Mary Alfred Leigh. Frank was an Insurance Agency Executive, active sailor and skier. He was born in Washington, DC on February 8, 1924 and spent most of his childhood in Lakeworth, Florida. During this time his summers were spent at his Uncle Hassel Leigh’s dairy farm in Great Falls, VA. He graduated from West Nottingham Academy in Colora, Md. and soon thereafter joined the Navy during the latter part of World War II. While in the Navy he flew PBYs on submarine patrol off the Atlantic coast. After leaving the Navy, he attended Georgetown University. In August of 1953 he joined Howard W. Phillips & Company insurance agency for what became a 52 year career that ended in his retirement in 2005. During that time he became an integral part of the day-to-day operations and management of the agency, eventually becoming vice president and partner. Prior to joining Howard W. Phillips & Company he worked as an automobile insurance underwriter for Aetna and the American Automobile Association (AAA). His greatest enjoyment came from his time spent sailing the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Whether racing Lightnings at the Washington Sailing Marina early on, or family trips on several of his “Blue Skies” or the many summer weekends spent on his Pearson 39, “Season Pass”, with co-captain “JR”, sailing was a lifelong passion. Winters were consumed by his other passion, skiing, which he continued to do well into his 80’s. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Margaret. He is survived by his wife, Jane (“JR”); children Franklin P. Williams, III and his wife, Eileen of Springfield MA, Peggy Williams of Harpers Ferry, WV, Beverly Cauley and her husband, Michael of Davidsonville, MD, Bonnie Carroll and her husband Shawn of Lawrenceville, NJ; grandchildren, Zachary, Patrick and Colin Williams; Jack, Gavin and Owen Cauley; Liam, Erin and Molly Carroll and great grandchild, Miles Williams. His first marriage to Mary Rose (Edelen) Councill ended in divorce. Family and friends are invited to Frank's Life Celebration on Tuesday, June 4, from 5 to 8pm at the GEORGE P. KALAS FUNERAL HOME, 6160 Oxon Hill Rd, Oxon Hill, MD, where services will be held on Wednesday, June 5, at 11am. Interment will be private following the Memorial Service. Memorial Contributions may be made in his honor to: American Heart Association; www.heart.org or American Cancer Society; www.cancer.org