Dawn Marie Williams, 86, of Lenox died Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020 at Berkshire Medical Center. Born Jan. 21, 1934, in Adams to the late August Edward Schmidt and Elsa Mary Pause Schmidt Lanoue, she was a 1952 graduate of Adams High School. After high school she attended Tarrant Comptometer School in San Diego, California, and, in 1972, obtained her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from North Adams State College.
Dawn worked for numerous places throughout her life: as a secretary for Sprague Electric Company in North Adams; Hajoea Corp. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Counter Intelligence Corp. in El Paso, Texas; General Electric in Pittsfield; a substitute teacher in Lenox; as a tutor in Pittsfield; as a teller in Comfed Savings Bank in Pittsfield; and was lastly employed by the zoning board of appeals in Lenox as a secretary.
Mrs. Williams was married Sept. 27, 1952, to Percival Lawrence Williams Jr. She was a member of St. Helena’s Episcopal Church in Lenox. She was a dedicated volunteer for the altar guild, vestry and Fair Co.; she taught church school, was a tutor at the Pittsfield Adult Learning Center; and was on the board of directors for the historical society and Berkshire Sanctuaries, where she was also a field guide and gatekeeper.
Besides her husband, she is survived by her children: Gary Allen Williams of Butler, Pennsylvania, Eric Edward Williams of Shrewsbury, Vermont, and Rona Marie McCarthy of Adams; and six grandchildren: Lyndsey, Clayton, Taylor, Paige, Evan and Amanda. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her brother, Edward A. Schmidt.
The funeral mass for Mrs. Dawn M. Williams will be held Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 11 a.m. at Trinity Church with Rev. Michael Tuck officiating. Burial will follow in Bellevue Cemetery in Adams. Calling hours will be held Monday, Feb. 10, from 1 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. at the Roche Funeral Home, 120 Main St., Lenox, MA 01240. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dawn’s memory may be made to either the American Diabetes Association or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, both in care of the funeral home. To share memories and stories, visit rochefuneralhome.com.
