Barbara Faye Williams

Barbara Faye Williams, née Brantley, resident of Chandler, TX, passed away on April 13, 2024, at Hospice Austin in Austin, TX at the age of 88, with her daughter and daughter-in-law by her side. Barbara Faye was born on January 4, 1936, in Goodway, AL to James and Cynthia Brantley. She graduated from Beatrice High School, Beatrice, AL where she was the President of her Senior Class of 1954. Barbara Faye was the first member of her family to attend college at Auburn University, obtaining her Bachelor of Arts degree in Applied Arts with a focus on fashion illustration. After moving to Odessa, TX to live with her aunt, Aileen Hammonds, she made quite the splash on the local art scene winning awards from the Texas Fine Arts Association and showcasing her work at various exhibits. Her approach to composition was modern, impressionistic, and abstract laced with a colorful palette. She married David Williams on February 24, 1961. After moving to Tyler, TX, she taught English and Art at Whitehouse High School for 30 years. She later obtained her Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas at Tyler. She was beloved by her teaching colleagues and students for her Southern drawl and wit, also a Brantley family trait. She, along with her students, made the world a more beautiful place by painting murals on the City of Whitehouse’s wall off Hwy. 110, its old Mercantile Building windows, and the stage in the Whitehouse city park. Barbara Faye and David were members of the Tyler Art League, and known as the “husband and wife painting team” in East Texas, showcasing their watercolor and oil paintings at exhibits. Barbara Faye often showcased her paintings at the annual Art League’s Sidewalk Show, held alongside the Azalea and Garden Trails event. Barbara Faye was a bold and unconventional artist, a lovingly fierce mother, a charismatic teacher, a tireless antique shopper, and a country music lover and dancer. She was cared for and loved by many over the final years of her life, including home aides in Chandler, staff and residents at Legend Oaks - North Austin and Hospice Austin. The Williams and Brantley families express their heartfelt thanks to those wonderful people. Barbara Faye is preceded in death by her parents James and Cynthia Brantley, brother Carl Brantley, husband Perry Beard, and ex-husband David Williams. She is survived by her son Walter Williams of Chandler, TX, her daughter Angela Williams (Pom) of Austin, TX,, her sister-in-law Dorothy Brantley of Wilmer, AL, two nephews, Derek (Heather) Brantley of Mobile, Jason (Amanda), Brantley of Lake View, AL, her great nieces Kira (James) Ward of Fairhope, AL, Mallory Brantley of Tuscaloosa, AL and Ryleigh Laike Brantley of Helena, AL, and great great niece and nephews Ethan, Jett, Piper, and Cole. Visitation will be held Saturday, April 27th at Serenity Funeral Home in Theodore, AL from 1PM until 3P.M. Funeral service to held in the chapel at Serenity Funeral Home Saturday, April 27th at 3 P.M. with graveside to follow in Serenity Memorial Gardens. Donations may be made to Hospice Austin in Austin, TX in lieu of flowers.

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Barbara Faye Williams

January 4, 1936 - April 13, 2024