Debra M. Williams was an incredible and caring woman who lived for others and delighted in coming alongside those whom she met in her life. She left behind many who were touched by her kindness and generosity and also a committed group of individuals determined to maintain her memory, spirit, and personal ministry to others.

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Debra Murphy Williams, born on May 28, 1961, passed away peacefully in her home, surrounded by her family, on Sunday, March 13, 2022, in Yarmouth, ME, after a three-year struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease).

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Born in Concord, NH, Debra was the only daughter and one of three children born to Miriam Harlow and A. Richard Murphy. Known to friends and family as Deb or Debbie, she grew up amongst the lakes, hills, and mountains of New England. Some of her fondest early memories were from their time living in Contoocook, NH. The family first took up skiing at nearby Pat’s Peak, where Deb developed a life-long love for the slopes. Building a strong emotional connection to New Hampshire, Deb spent her summers in a cottage on Black Cat Island on Lake Winnipesaukee. There, she was introduced to water skiing, hiking in the White Mountains, and morning swims. Deb’s family moved frequently in those early years, but Black Cat Island remained a constant in her life for decades on. In 1975, the Murphy family put down deep roots in New Canaan, CT, which would be their home base for the next 25 years.

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After graduating New Canaan High School in 1979, Deb continued her education at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. A dedicated student, Deb was admitted to Phi Beta Kappa her junior year and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. She also sang in the Colgate Chorus and founded Colgate’s first sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, with several of her friends. Deb longed for new experiences and was a participant on the Colgate International Studies program in Geneva, Switzerland during her junior year, and then she also was a visiting student on the Hamilton College Washington, DC Program during her senior year, working part-time for the public defender's office as a case investigator, meeting with witnesses throughout DC. Upon graduation, Deb moved to New York to work for IBM. It was in Manhattan that she met her future husband, Stuart Williams, introduced through a blind date. Together, Deb and Stu explored New York’s many restaurants and attractions from their apartments in Manhattan and Brooklyn Heights during a two-year courtship.

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Following their wedding in 1985, the newlywed couple moved to Boston; and Deb continued her education, completing a M.Ed. at Lesley University and receiving her teaching certification. While she taught for just two years, prior to starting a family, Deb remained committed to education as a parent and later as a founder of an independent school, Boston Trinity Academy, with fellow members of Park Street Church, where she was Board Secretary. Deb became an involved and energetic mother of three children, spread over ten years. And her influence naturally followed both in her intellectual interests and in her love for the outdoors. 

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Their family had various moves, from Connecticut, to Maryland, to Massachusetts. Deb had many gifts, but chief among those was her artistic eye, which she used to make every house feel like home. She carefully considered every detail, lovingly crafting the space occupied by those who meant the most to her. For instance, there was always a fresh arrangement of flowers in the kitchen, and she had a preternatural eye for color and sense of design.

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Deb introduced her children to many of the formative activities she cherished through weekend ski trips to the mountains of New England and Quebec and bike trips to Acadia National Park. The family spent their summers on Chebeague Island in Maine in their home atop Stone Wharf Road with a sweeping view of Casco Bay. It was during these idyllic summers that Deb encouraged her kids to experience autonomy and adventure in the same way she had as a girl on Lake Winnipesaukee.

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As Deb’s children grew and used the independence she fostered, she began to put more time into  ministries where she could come alongside others, first receiving training to serve as a Stephen Minister, an organized lay ministry. Several years later, after attending a missions fair, she was then moved to volunteer with Hagar’s Sisters, a Christian ministry focused on providing counsel and support services to women experiencing domestic violence. During the final years of her life, Deb reached out to the women’s group at Foreside Community Church located in Falmouth, ME after relocating to Yarmouth, Maine. Despite the move being in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and her progression with ALS, Deb treasured the fellowship in their Women’s Group that met weekly on Wednesday mornings. The lively and affectionate banter was a highlight of her days.

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Deb lived a life that modeled compassion and caring for others. Beneath her caring ways was a woman of deep intellectual gifts who chose to set aside her own personal opportunities to move forward in a world that was opening to women in law, medicine, and business to focus on those closest to her: her children and her community. She left marks on all those whom she touched. She is survived by her husband of 36 years, Stuart Williams, and three children, Abbey (Ted), Paul, and Annie.

 

A memorial service was held in Lexington, Massachusetts at the Hancock United Church of Christ where the family worshiped for many years. Her remains are interred at the Pine Grove Cemetery in Falmouth, Maine.

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