Williams honored at Copeland Oaks Founder's Day celebration

The Williams family and Copeland Oaks have a long history together.

That legacy was recognized Friday afternoon during the facility's annual Founder's Day celebration when Bill E. Williams was honored with the Distinguished Service Award during a ceremony in which the Oaks Foundation also updated its Tree of Life and officially dedicated the Laverne Belden Legacy Walkway.

Williams, the president of Williams-Case Insurance Agency Inc. in Sebring, followed in the footsteps of his father, the late Gail Williams, in both business and community service.

When Copeland Oaks was founded in 1967, Gail Williams was on the board of directors and remained involved until his death in 1992.

In the meantime, Gail Williams relinquished the duties of president of the insurance agency to his son upon his retirement in 1982 and Bill Williams became involved with Copeland Oaks and continued his family's legacy with the retirement community.

"I was looking back through my notes to the first time I met Bill," said Oaks Foundation Administrator Matthew Stinson. "I asked him why he spent as much time as he did at Copeland. He responded, 'It's a family thing. My father was on the board since its inception until he passed away in 1992. I stepped on to the board at that time and have memories of Copeland from as long as I can remember. It's always been a part of our family."

Williams is a past chairman of both the Copeland Oaks Board of Directors and the Crandall Medical Center Board of Directors. He is currently vice president of the Copeland Oaks Board of Directors, secretary of the Oaks Foundation Board of Directors and is an active member of the philanthropy, finance and executive committees.

Williams was presented with the Distinguished Service Award by Cheryl Kelly, current president of the Copeland Oaks Board of Directors.

"When I asked some of my fellow board members to share some of their experiences with Bill, I found a common theme in that many of us view Bill as a mentor, said Kelly. "He brings with him a wealth of knowledge about the rich history of this community. With that comes some valuable insight as to the needs of Copeland Oaks, both as a physical structure that needs to keep pace with changes in the world around us and as a community of individuals who want to enjoy this phase of life and the unique opportunities that come with maturity."

Among his many activities, Williams has been the secretary-treasurer of Sebring Kids Inc. since 1984, is a member of the advisory board of the Sebring-West Branch Community Foundation and is a new member of the Sebring Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

He is a past president of the insurance division of the Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Westfield Agents Association, past president of Sebring Kids Inc. and a two-time past president of the Sebring Rotary Club.

A 1967 graduate of Sebring McKinley High School and 1971 graduate of Mount Union College, Williams resides in Sebring with his wife Grace. He has three sons and three stepsons with a total of nine grandchildren.

His mother, Marjorie Williams-Crewson, was a teacher in the Sebring Local School District and is a resident of Crandall Medical Center.