Deborah Elaine Williams was escorted by angels from on high, Deborah made a soft landing with the elders in heaven on January 25, 2025.

Deborah is a native of Akron, Ohio. She was born to Waveland “Sonny” Sims and Naomi Andrea Blake. Raised on the Westside, Deborah attended Akron Public Schools, including Grace Elementary, West Jr. High, and Buchtel High School.

She continued her education at Merritt College in Oakland, California, where she majored in Science and Education. However, she soon accepted a position with the U.S. Postal Service, setting her career in motion.

Deborah later attended beauty college and became a certified nail technician, an accomplishment that followed many years of helping her mother, a beautician, at the Matthews Beauty Shop on North Howard Street.

A lover of music, Deborah cherished her friendships and actively participated in several gospel choirs. She sang with The Akron Community Choir, the Bettye Palms Ensemble, Rejoice, Community Love, United Voices of Faith, Bethel Baptist Church Choir, and the Second Baptist Youth Choir.

As an adult, Deborah was a member of various social, political, and cultural organizations, including but not limited to the Council of Negro Women, Sisters and Brothers Social Club, The Eight Ball Club and the Naomi Stone Order of the Eastern Stars and Sara Chapter Number 19.

Her ministry was in feeding others; she became a skilled cook and generously shared her culinary gifts with her community. Her guiding philosophy was, “feed the people.” Deborah was known for opening her hand, heart, and home to those in need.

A lifelong member of Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio, Deborah frequently visited different churches throughout Northeast Ohio.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Matthew Williams; her maternal grandmother, Leona Bell Jones; brothers, James, L.D., Thomas, Lawrence, Cleophus, Millender; sister, Mildred Stevens; great-aunt, Justina Creech (James); uncle, Col. William W. Blake; aunts, Verna N. Tucker (James) and Patricia Jones Turner, and cousin, Roderick W. Tucker.

Deborah leaves to mourn her passing her sisters, Mary Crosby (Sweet), Sarah Stevens, Pez L. Lewis, Vonelle and Dorothy Millender, Ernestine Coleman, Crystal Millender-Byrd, Sylvia Dampier, Geraldine Millender-Barton and Deet Sims; uncle and aunt, Willis and Jewell Jones; aunt, Maxine E. Blake; special cousin, Francine E. Blake; best friends, Joslyn “Jay” Rigmaiden and Vickie Philpott; special nephew, Joe Veonnes Bolds and Drea Pitts along with a host of grandchildren and other relatives, friends.

Friends may call on Saturday, February 1, 2025, from 10:00 am until 11:00 am at Sommerville Funeral Services, 1695 Diagonal Rd. Akron, Oh 44320. Funeral service will immediately follow. Interment Rose Hill Burial Park on Monday, February 3, 2025.