Arthur Williams

Affectionately called ‘A.J.’ by his friends and associates, Arthur Williams, Jr. graduated from Douglass High School and attended West Virginia State College before his parents sent him to the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science to earn a degree so he could help with the family business – Williams Mortuary. When his father and mother died, Arthur and his wife, Marcelene, ran the family business until it was sold in 2001.

Arthur provided funeral services for the Black community at a time when White funeral homes would not accept Blacks. He was one of the lead morticians during the tragic Marshall University plane crash in 1970. He worked relentlessly for three days, without sleep, assisting and identifying loved ones’ remains.

A.J. took exceptional care of grieving families, making sure their loved ones were laid to rest with dignity. He treated every family he served with compassion and respect.

He also was employed at Inco Alloys for 33 years.