Lionel E. Williams

Lionel E. Williams died October 25th at his home in Essex, CT. He was born in the South Bronx in 1930 to Lionel Williams and Margaret Duffy Williams. He was proud of his Irish Heritage and his family ties to Sint Maarten.

Many of his interests stemmed from growing up in New York City. His great love for the South Bronx was reflected in the vignettes he wrote about life in the 1930s and 40s. As an amateur astronomer, one of his fondest memories was grinding telescope lenses at the Hayden Planetarium. Cityscapes were his favorite form of photography and his images invited the viewer to be curious about what was beyond the next corner.

His family moved to Niantic in the 1940’s and he later married Suzanne Hedden and raised their family in Crescent Beach. Lionel instilled in his children the importance of being involved in local and national affairs and of standing up for what one believes is right and just. He worked for various political campaigns and while working at EB, his children joined him on the picket lines. Lionel served as Chief Steward of the Boilermakers Union, then was a union representative for AFT, and later was a labor arbitrator for the State of CT Labor Board. 

He is survived by his children, Susan Spang (Jim), Linda Williams, Michael Williams (Cheryl) Brian Williams, Sara Williams (David) and Grandchildren Keil, Will, Chloe, Ava and Matt. He is also survived by his wife of 35 years, Jane Nadel, with whom he shared a uniquely compatible relationship.