Ruby Nell Williams

Ruby Nell Williams was born January 13th, 1943, to proud parents Louis and Mable Victoria in Eunice, Louisiana. Ruby was the fourth of seven children—four girls and three boys. As befits her name, Ruby was beautiful, exquisite, precious, rare, and durable. From the very beginning, she was a standout. She was the drum major of her school’s band. She was a gifted student, skipping grades 5 and 8, and graduating at sixteen years of age. She was known for not only her prodigious intelligence but her beauty. She was crowned Miss Eunice in 1957 and voted the most beautiful girl of her high school. Although ambitious for an African-American woman in this time period in the rural segregated South, Ruby had decided that she would become a doctor. She would climb beyond whatever limitations were set for her. Her dream was interrupted because her mother had children later in life, and she wanted Ruby to delay starting college to help her care for her younger siblings.

Strong-willed and unyielding, Ruby decided to take another course. She had met her future husband Luthern Williams, Sr., a man of 6’,5,” as a teenager. He was a visionary man and an exceptional athlete who seemed destined to play professional basketball. In 1960, she married him, and their marriage lasted 48 years until his death in 2008. By the time she was 20 years of age, she had four children, and she had another child at 25 years of age. She did not allow these hard circumstances to subdue her. She simply rose to the challenge. She cared for her five children, maintained a spotless house, cooked unbelievably delicious creole meals like a master chef, and cleaned buildings at night with her husband while he attended California State University Northridge on a basketball scholarship. She never forgot about her dream to become a doctor, so, given the realities of her life, she decided to go to nursing school: she earned straight “A’s” and her degree. Capable of functioning most of her life on four hours or less of sleep, she worked tirelessly in her profession to care for others and to contribute to taking care of her family.

After an injury thwarted her husband’s prospects of becoming a professional basketball player, my mother was willing to change course to help him achieve another dream. In 1977, her husband founded “Freedom Road, Inc.,” a company that distributed parts in the aircraft industry. To support her husband and family, she, at his request, left her career in nursing and built the infrastructure for his business, teaching herself accounting, finance, and operations and doing the work of several people. Running the company as the Vice President, she single handedly created the foundation for their success, and their business became the small business of the year. Having come to California with virtually nothing materially, she and her husband more than accomplished the American Dream. While at the company, she also taught members of her family bookkeeping and accounting skills, which became the basis of their livelihoods. Her journey is a testament to the fact that life does not always unfold predictably. It’s not a crystal stair. At times, it gets really hard—so hard that we could give up because the obstacles seem insurmountable. Ruby inspires us to remember that with courage, strength, and perseverance, we can always get up, overcome any perceived barriers, and reach great heights.

When she was done climbing, she became a devoted grandmother to her grandchildren who meant the world to her, and she lavished them with love. She also was a deeply committed Lakers fan who shared her husband’s passion for basketball, and could be found watching the NBA if she was not on the phone talking to family.

She leaves to cherish her memories: her sister, Orina Hardy; her brother, Jason Victoria, Sr.; her children,Lafreda Joseph; Shiletha Hancik; Sheila Allmond; and Luthern Williams, Jr.; nephews whom she raised, Ronald Williams and Baron Williams; 14 grandchildren; 8 great- grandchildren; foster children, and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.

Her parents, Louis and Mable Victoria, Jr.; husband, Luthern Williams, Sr.; siblings, Grace Lambert, Sylvia Victoria, Gary Victoria, Mitchell Victoria; and son, Mitchell Williams, preceded her in death.