Thomas C. Williams
STAUNTON – Thomas Clendening Williams, 76, of Augusta County, died Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014, at Augusta Health, Fishersville, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Tom was the son of John and Virginia Williams of Romney, W.Va., where he spent his childhood.
Tom attended Mercersburg Academy prep school and then received a B.A. degree from Washington and Lee University, Lexington. He was accepted in the U.S. Navy officer candidate school at Newport, R.I., and upon completion of the program was commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Navy. Tom served as an officer aboard a nuclear armed missile destroyer in the Pacific and reached the rank of full lieutenant and received an honorable discharge.
After military, Tom returned to W&L University and taught German for one year before entering the U.Va. law school in Charlottesville. He received a J.D. degree and was admitted to the Virginia bar and spent the following four years as a lawyer living in Brussels, Belgium, and working in Western Europe, South America and Africa. Tom then entered investment banking, joining Lehman Brothers first in London and then New York. Subsequently, Tom joined Lazard Freres working for both New York and Paris offices.
Tom was widely read and traveled. An avid sportsman, he loved shooting birds, swam for both Mercersburg and W&L and played competitive tennis for most of his life.
Tom is survived by a daughter, Holland C. Williams and a son, S. Taylor Williams, both from his former marriage to Nicols Compton Fox. Tom has three grandchildren by his son, namely Kathryn, Sam and Lucy. Tom is also survived by three brothers, Stuart, Sam and Jack.
For the past 12 years, Tom has had a very close and caring relationship with Cindy Kiser of Augusta County.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, at Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton by the Rev. Dr. Paul Nancarrow. Burial will be in Romney, W.Va., at a later date.
The family will receive friends following the service at the church.
Henry Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.henryfuneralhome.net.