Elizabeth "Beth" Williams

Elizabeth Ann Williams was born on August 10, 1963 in Boston, Massachusetts the daughter of Archie Williams and Norma E. Bartos Williams. Beth was the second of her parent’s three children. Born after her older sister Donna, and 9 months before her younger brother David, Beth and David were considered by all who knew them to be as close as twins. Beth-n-David was one name in the Williams household.

Beth attended Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA and Bever Country Day School in Chestnut Hill, MA. where she was captain of the girls’ basketball team. Beth was an excellent student and excelled in the sciences at Beaver. Having earned a scholarship in science she was off to Lincoln University, a historically Black University near Oxford, Pennsylvania. Beth completed a year at Lincoln before transitioning to her father’s Alma Mater, Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island where she earned a degree in Business.

Following graduation, Beth worked at Raytheon Technologies in both Cambridge and New Hampshire as a subcontract administrator advancing to small minority business liaison officer.

Beth left Raytheon to work at Blue Cross Blue Shield taking on a number of the positions. Her last position at BCBS was Director of Business Diversity.  She left Blue Cross Blue to succeed her father as President and CEO of Roxbury Technology Corporation which under her guidance became a 17-million-dollar business.

Beth’s son Kameron was the light of her life.  She participated as an active parent in No Books No Ball and the Pop Warner Football League.  Exposing her son to other cultures was important to Beth. Her love of travel with her son, took them to the Caribbean and British Virgin Islands. A part of her travels included a Mecca to South Africa.  For Beth getting there was only a small part of the journey. She was always the first in her group to search out the tour on both land and sea. Photos of her climbing a mountain in South Africa or bumping along on a jet ski in St Kitts was par for the course.

Beth gave to the entire community. Her heart and kindness knew no limits. At home you could find Beth not only in her backyard in a battle with “that brown patch in middle of her backyard” that refused to go green, but in yours if you told her your gardening woes. Beth would stop by not only with a plant or two for you to place in your garden, but she would also arrive with the shovel, gloves, miracle grow and elbow grease to get it in the ground.

If Beth knew you were feeling under the weather, answer the door, the delivery man was there from Exotic Flowers. Working on a business plan? Beth would have you over for dinner to discuss your plans and a few ideas she thought you might want to consider.

Beth was honored to be recognized by the business community as a recipient of the American Express and Women President’s Organizations CEO of the year Award, The Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council President’s Award, and the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts Presidents and Community Leadership Award.

But more importantly however, was Beth’s commitment to being a socially responsible entrepreneur. She was driven by her social mission to provide second chances to not only her products, but to people as well. Beth was a longtime supporter of CORI reform and more that 15 percent of her work force were ex-offenders and ex-gang members. Her belief was that “desperate people do desperate things, and we all deserve a second chance and unless given an opportunity to change, we only perpetuate a cycle of dysfunction at ultimately a cost to us all. We either pay them or for them. 

Beth leaves behind to cherish her fond memory her son Kameron, her dearest sister Donna Williams, her beloved niece Christina Soares, and her beloved sister, Joan Harrington as well as a host of adored cousins and friends.

Funeral Service Friday at 6 PM at Morning Star Baptist Church
Due to Covid-19, attendance is limited. In-person attendance is by invitation only.

Friends are invited to join us remotely by accessing the Live Churchstream at https://www.morningstarboston.org/watch-online

Interment Saturday at Forest Hills Cemetery, Jamaica Plain, departing the church at 10 AM.
There are no attendance restrictions at the cemetery. ALL ARE WELCOME.

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