By: Judd Marshall
Mt. Pleasant ISD Superintendent of Schools
My first memory of Mr. Willie Williams is meeting him when I was nine years old. My dad was a teacher and a coach, and we had just moved to Paris, Texas where my dad had gotten a new coaching job. I met Coach Williams during the fall of that year. Mr. Williams was coaching at Mount Pleasant High School and they were playing basketball at Paris High School. I remember my dad introducing me to Coach Williams that night, and I remember watching the Mt. Pleasant Tigers whip up on the Paris Wildcats. I was what you might call a “gym rat,” and I had a basketball in my hand all of the time. I had no idea that my relationship with Willie Williams was just beginning.
Moving forward 39 years later, I am devastated at the loss of such a fine man. All of us that knew Mr. Williams understand the impact that he has had on public education, MPISD, and Titus County. The relationships that Willie Williams had with so many of us is hard to put into words. So many times over the past 22 years of my time at MPISD, I have had one of those “talks” with Mr. Williams. He just seemed to appear out of nowhere at the right time and the right place. You did not always get to hear what you wanted to hear, but you always got to hear the truth. Whether you got words of encouragement or a gentle kick in the rear, we all knew that Willie had a huge heart for all of us and that he cared about Mount Pleasant.
As I sat at my kitchen table on Mother’s Day afternoon with tears running down my face, I spent some time thinking about the impact that Mr. Williams had on my life. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to get to know him and be a small part of his life. I also know that my life is better because of him. Mr. Williams was a committed, compassionate, intelligent, and fair man, and he provided leadership to our community in many different facets of life here in Titus County. I have heard stories about the leadership that Mr. Williams provided during and after integration in our schools when there were some difficult times. Willie did not see the color of a person’s skin but he did see the person. Mr. Williams was a great listener who treated individuals as individuals, and I know there are many, many people who share the same feelings that I have for this man. I am praying for Mrs. Williams and her family during this very difficult time. May God continue to bless Titus County.