On May 21, 82-year-old Henry S. Williams died after a long battle with leukemia. He left behind three sons Mark, Paul and Bart; a brother, Hiram J. Williams II; six his grandchildren, Scott, Ryan, Samantha, Zachary, Adam and Justice, and wife of 57 years, Frances Beatrice Spurlock Williams.
He was buried May 25 in a private service; and to further celebrate his life there was a public recognition of his accomplishments held on May 31, at The Ebell Theater in Los Angeles.
Dr. Williams will best be remembered for his contributions to the Los Angeles medical community.
Williams was born Aug. 26, 1929, in the Bronx, NY. He attended P.S. 23 and DeWitt Clinton High School there. In 1950, he graduated from the City College of New York and enrolled at Howard University medical school.
But due to illness, Dr. Williams left after a year and went to Los Angeles where he met his wife-to-be Frances Spurlock, then a student at UCLA.
In 1953, Hank returned to Howard University and married Frances. After graduating from Howard in 1955, he joined the military and began studying radiology at Letterman Army Hospital in San Francisco. From 1960 to 1962, he served as chief of radiology at the United States Army base in Orleans, France.
After his military tour, Williams returned to Los Angeles with his new family and began private practices in the Central City area.
He devoted much of his practice to giving medical training and caring for the people in impoverished communities, particularly in Watts.
In 1965 after the Watts riots, he helped found the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, and from 1989 to 1991 served as interim president of the university as well as on the Drew board of trustees.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to Charles Drew University, c/o the Henry S. Williams Scholarship Fund, 1731 E. 120th St., Los Angeles, CA 90058; Attn. Edna Yohannes, office of the poresident.
