Alta Williams

SEQUIM, Wash. — Alta Ada Williams, 76, went to be with the Lord on Dec. 12, 2018, while a patient at Swedish Hospital Cherry Hill Campus, Seattle, Wash. She was born to the late Paul and Alta Cates on April 8, 1942, in Lubbock, Texas. Alta Ada graduated as valedictorian of Lubbock High School and from Texas Tech University, with an MA in and a PhD in Classics and English Literature. She taught English Literature, Math and Latin at Texas Tech University, Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, and at Covenant College on Lookout Mountain, Georgia. She also had a two-year research fellowship at the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, Oxford, England. She was the author and publisher of multiple Christian books. Alta Ada met Dr. Bruce Williams in Chattanooga, Tenn., and they married in August 1982. She was predeceased by her father and mother, Paul Cates (1982) and Alta Cates (2013), of Lubbock, Texas, and her sister, Marcie Johnston Beasley (2007), of Lubbock, Texas. Survivors include her husband, Dr. Bruce Williams, of Sequim, Wash.; daughter and son-in-law, Franci and Ian Ball, of Sutton Coldfield, England; son and daughter-in-law, Paul and Carol Schoner, of Signal Mountain, Tenn.; son, Joseph Schoner, of Cincinnati, Ohio; nephew and wife, Drs. Joe and Carrie Johnston, of San Antonio, Texas; niece, Dr. Carol Johnston, of Austin, Texas; two grand-nieces, Olivia and Julia Johnston and one grand-nephew, William Johnston, of San Antonio, Texas, as well numerous cousins and other extended family members. Alta Ada pursued a deep, loving relationship with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as the most important thing in her life and she was rewarded by learning to relate to him as an individual in which He called her “His little princess.” Building and pursuing the depths of that relationship with her Lord resulted in a quiet and sweet spirit that influenced everyone she encountered. Already prophets have seen her in heaven with her Lord, her face aglow, before her burial. Pallbearers will be Ian Ball, Hugh Brown, Michael Brown, Joe Johnston, Takeshi Sato and Mark Williams. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 21, 2018, at First Presbyterian Church with Bishop Willie Cage of the Louisiana South Central Jurisdiction of Church of God in Christ officiating. Interment to follow in Forrest Hills Cemetery, Chattanooga, Tenn. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Alta Ada’s favorite charity, Chosen People (www.chosenpeople.com) Visit www.heritagechattanooga.com to share condolences with the family. Visitation will be from 10 until 11 a.m. at the church. Arrangements entrusted to Heritage Funeral Home, East Brainerd Chapel.