Nancy Lou Duckworth Williams, 88 of Amelia Island, passed away on Wednesday, December 10th at Community Hospice and Palliative Care in Jacksonville with her two sons Malcolm and Jeffrey by her side.

Nancy was born March 9th, 1937 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to Doris Woodard Duckworth and Sara Lou Sartin Duckworth. She was an only child and the center of her parents' life. At the age of 10 her family moved to Jackson, Mississippi. While in elementary school and junior high she took piano lessons and dance lessons. She graduated Central High School in 1955 and attended Mississippi College for Women in Columbus, Mississippi. The Forum club, Chemistry and Physics Club, Home Economics, and the Palette and Brush club were some of the clubs that she was a member of. In 1959, she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the “W”

After college she moved back to Jackson, to start work at Belwood Kitchens where she designed the layout of new kitchens. Memphis, Tennessee is where she took a job as fashion artist for The John Gerber Co. Nancy eventually went on to become an art teacher at Memphis Junior High until she retired in 1967 to raise her family.

In the spring of 1962, she met her future husband, Malcolm D. Williams Jr. The couple got married on June 15th, 1963 at First Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi. They were happily married for 62 years. On December, 25th 1967 they had their first child Malcolm D. Williams III in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1970, the young family moved to Dothan, Alabama for Malcolm’s work. Jeffrey L. Williams, their second son, was born on December, 30th 1973. Nancy was a wonderful homemaker and great cook but rekindled her artistic pursuits when she found time from raising the boys.

The family moved again in 1986 to Amelia Island. Nancy joined the Newcomers Club and served as president in 1990. She joined the Amelia Island Art Association in 1991 and was an exhibiting artist there for 35 years,selling over 2500 pieces of art. She enjoyed working on the Shrimp Festival Registration Committee for many years. For twenty years she displayed her art at The Southern Breeze Art Gallery in Jackson. Nancy was accepted as a member of the Daughter of the American Revolution in 1959 and joined the local Amelia Island Chapter in 1996.She stayed active playing bridge with her club every Thursday and working at the gallery once a month. She will be greatly missed by her husband, family, friends and community.

Nancy is preceded in death by her parents, Doris Woodard Duckworth and Sara Lou Sartin Duckworth, she leaves behind her husband of 62 years Malcolm D. Williams Jr., her son Malcolm D. Williams III and his wife Gina, her other son Jeffrey L. Williams and his wife Lisa.
Her grandchildren Mathew ( Sarah), Zachary ( Nicky), Kimberly( Kevin) Sophia, and Malcolm IV and her great grandchild Kira.



Services will be held on Saturday, December 20th, at Oxley-Heard Chapel. Visitation will begin at 1pm and the service will begin at 2pm. A private family service will be held graveside at Bosque Bello Cemetery.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers that a donation in her honor be made to the Amelia Island Art Association.