Barbara Williams was born July 17th, 1939 to Louis and N Marie Merrifield in Chicago IL, where she experienced a happy childhood and learned to work hard. After earning a history degree from Cornell University and a Library Science degree from University of Wisconsin, she worked as a librarian, raised a family and attended the First Congregational Church in Madison, WI. She retired in 2005, but continued to volunteer in the library, and in various literacy and progressive causes across Madison. She greatly valued her Madison network of strong and funny retired librarians and other friends. In 2017, she packed up and moved to Ithaca, NY where she was privileged to be taken in by a similar community at Kendal in Ithaca.
Barbara held deep convictions about how people should treat other people with kindness and compassion. She tried to live her life with less things and more empathy, respecting people of diverse backgrounds and creating a tight community fabric that could support those growing up with fewer advantages. She passed away June 24th, 2018 due to complications from kidney cancer. She is survived by her daughter’s family, Rebecca Williams, Warren Zipfel and Anna Zipfel, of Ithaca, NY and her son’s family, Mark, Jane, Claire, Owen and Irene Williams of Arlington, VA.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Madison Public Library Foundation, 201 W. Mifflin Street, Madison, WI 53703.
A memorial service and gathering will be held at 4pm July 21rst at the First Congregational Church, 1609 University Ave in Madison.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Barbara J. Williams, please visit our flower store.