James Bryan “Jimmy” Williams, Sr, age 90, passed away at his Atlanta home on January 23, 2024 from complications of Parkinson’s Disease. He was born March 21, 1933 to Eugene Grant and Ellen Bryan Williams in Sewanee, Tennessee and raised in Rossville, Georgia.
He graduated from The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee and then from Emory University in 1955, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He joined the Trust Company of Georgia in 1955, spent two years of service in the U.S. Air Force, then returned to the bank in 1957 as a member of the Management Training Program. He spent his entire career at “Trust Company”, AKA The Trust Company of Georgia, SunTrust Banks, and now Truist. From 1964 to 1973 he was President & CEO of Trust Company Bank of Augusta, returning to Atlanta in 1973. In April 1990 he was elected President & CEO of SunTrust Banks and then Chairman in 1991.
Some of his corporate boards included The Coca-Cola Company, Genuine Parts Company, Rollins Inc., Georgia-Pacific Corp., SONAT, the Sea Island Company, and others over many years. He was a trustee of Emory University, The Westminster Schools, and Berry College. He was past president of the Augusta Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. He was an Eagle Scout and Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army. He was Chairman of the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation, the Lettie Pate Evans Foundation, the Luther C. Fischer Foundation, and former Chairman of the Board of the R.W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center at Emory University. He was past President of the Augusta Country Club, the Atlanta Capital City Club, and the Atlanta Commerce Club, and a member of the Piedmont Driving Club, the Peachtree Golf Club, the Sea Island Club, and the Ocean Forest Club at Sea Island. He has been a member of the Peachtree Presbyterian Church since his return to Atlanta in 1973. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Betty Adams Williams, and three children: Ellen Williams White of St Simons Island, Ga; Elizabeth Williams Bean (Jonathan) of New York City; and James Bryan Williams, Jr. of Nashville, Ga. five grandchildren, five great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Mary Beth Williams of Atlanta (he was preceded in death by his brother, Robert E. “Bobby” Williams); brother-in-law, Richard Adams (Cathy) of Alpharetta; sister-in-law, Rena Adams Linscott of Dunwoody and nieces, nephews and cousins. The family would like to thank his caregivers, Brianna Rivera and Isohola Olayinka, for their loving care over the past two years.
A Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 25th from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM at H.M. Patterson & Son - Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Rd. NE, Sandy Springs. The Funeral service will be Friday January 26, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church at Emory University, (due to the current renovations of the Peachtree Presbyterian Church sanctuary) with the Reverend Richard Kannwischer officiating. Parking for Funeral services will be at the Fishburne Parking Deck, 1672 N. Decatur Rd. Atlanta, GA 30322. A private burial will be at Arlington Memorial Park Cemetery in Sandy Springs. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Office of Gift Records, Emory University, 1762 Clifton Rd. NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30322.
