Earl Williams

Earl S. Williams passed away in his family's home on December 31, 2010. Earl was born, on April 13, 1920 in Canton, N.C., to George and Flora Deaver Williams. He grew up in Buncombe and Haywood counties and graduated from Mars Hill College in 1942 before entering the Army Air Corps. After several assignments in the states, he went overseas as the war was ending and joined a cargo plane maintenance crew in the Philippines. He accompanied that unit into Japan immediately after the war's end and was there until Feb. 1946. Meanwhile his family had moved to Blackstone, VA, and, upon discharge from the military, he entered the University of Richmond where he studied physics for a year. He was then employed by the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, DC, (later named the National Institute for Standards and Technology). While employed there, he completed his degree requirements as a part-time student at the American Univ. in Washington, D.C. Also while in Washington he met and married Ernestine Mangum, his wife of 57 years. He continued with the Bureau as a physicist in the Electricity Division for 33 years. The need for more accuracy and wider ranges steadily increased as electronic instruments became more versatile and accurate. Over the years he authored a dozen articles for several technical journals on electrical instrument design, measurements procedures and techniques. He came home to the mountains after retiring in 1984, and made his home in Candler. He was an active member of the Enka Lions Club, the Carolina Mountain Club, and worked with the local Habitat for Humanity for several years. He was lifelong Baptist and held several offices, both in his local church in the Maryland Suburbs of Washington, and then in the First Baptist Church of Asheville. Earl was preceded in death by his brother, Morris; sisters, Daisy and Geri; and finally by his wife, Ernestine, on October 29, 2010. He is survived by his three sons, Douglas (Jana), Eric, and Jeff (Susan); grandchildren, Edward, Nicholas, Sarah and Grace; sister, Joyce; brothers-in-law, Ray Brumbaugh and Benson Mangum; sister-in-law, Jennie Culler; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Funeral services will be held at the First Baptist Church of Asheville on Saturday, January 8, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. with the Reverend David Blackmon and the Reverend Leah Brown officiating. Burial will follow at Bethel Community Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. Friday evening at Wells Funeral Home in Canton.

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