Katie Lanae Williams, 36, of Leicester, North Carolina went gently to sleep in Jesus on June 5, 2022. But the memory of her unwavering love and dedication to family-- which were always at the center of her heart-- lives on in each one of us.

Katie was born to Nathan and Donna Williams, the fourth of six children, in Asheville, NC on January 24, 1986. It was the year the spaceship Challenger exploded across the sky and on televisions everywhere—and the year that Haliey’s comet swung round on its 75-year track dazzling the night.

Katie’s life was also a juxtaposition of forces – an unrelenting disease at the age of 18, and an indomitable spirit that refused to shrink back but rather grew in empathy and desire to lift burdens.

From a young age she was as spunky as a wet dog in a house. She was a boisterous caped Super Girl tailing after her older sister, Lara Lea. She approached strangers with confidence and loved to entertain them with her athleticism, primarily her show stopping splits.

As Katie grew, so did her gifts. She had a beautiful singing voice, and though on rare occasion she offered it up to others, her favorite audience was a hot tub full of siblings or car full of nieces and nephews belting out Disney tunes.

Katie persevered through some avant-garde hair styles in the early 90’s, but developed the most sophisticated style in the family (and probably all of Leicester).

Katie graduated from high school and headed off to Southern University in Tennessee where she attracted many friends and effortlessly slipped into her big sister’s friend group as if they’d been hers all along. Bess Martin recalled, “She was a bright light among us, and frequently a voice of reason. She may not have been our sister, but we all tried to claim her.”

During college she took a year off and then took a bold step into Honduras where she mothered and taught dozens of children in need of care. Difficult though it was, her heart and abilities were well suited for the challenge, and it laid the groundwork for her future career as a childcare professional.

Following Honduras, she transferred to Southwestern Adventist University in Texas and landed under the wing of her Aunt Brenda. “It was a crazy busy household at the time,” remembers Brenda, who was caring for her own ailing mother with Alzheimer’s and whose daughter, Megan, had recently moved back home. “Katie and Megan loved to make Nana happy and give me a break by taking her to Dairy Queen. Katie would pull out with Nana in the car and both would just smile ear to ear as they waved goodbye.”

Upon graduating with a degree in education, Katie got a job at Greater Memphis Adventist Academy where she spent more than three years teaching elementary education and sharing her infectious joy, humor and heart in all she did. “Katie was someone who always went beyond her job title to teach lessons of love and acceptance,” Shannon Wilhelm, a fellow teacher remembers.

Around 2017, Katie moved back to her roots, home and heart in Asheville, North Carolina where she was once again in the center of family. Here she created a beautiful home with the help of her mom and dad-- planting, painting and establishing a love/hate relationship with her lawn mower.

She was naturally crafty and creative like her mother, and the two spent many hours together beautifying her space—making flowers bloom on walls where colors pop unabashedly, and hanging lights that warmed space and soul from the outside in.

And just as her mother helped beautify her life, her father helped to strengthen it. Katie turned to him in matters both small and large, from a busted sewage pipe in her backyard to years of medical advice… not because she needed another doctor in her life, but because she needed the care and assurance of her father. She never doubted his constancy… his steadfast dependability for anything she needed.

Though one of her favorite things in the world was yellow sunflowers, Katie was not a wallflower herself! She never shied away from going head to head with anyone on any topic that struck a chord—a Williams trait universally practiced like a band instrument in the hands of a middle schooler.

Katie’s career as a childcare professional fit her hand in glove. She took pride in her job and felt confident doing it. “She cared for and loved her children like they were her own,” one mother shared. “It’s rare to meet such a selfless, loving, kind and dependable person.”

When it came to her own nieces and nephews, Katie reverted back to childhood with ease and enthusiasm. No matter the adolescence or banality of the topic, Katie would dive in whole heartedly to the conversation and come out with kids cackling and her reputation in tact as one of the coolest aunts on the planet. Her doting and teasing was imperceptibly the same thing. She spoiled them with treats and sleepovers, and magnified them with high praise over even the smallest achievements. She drove countless miles car-pooling her baby nephews between their mother and grandmother. For Katie, the work and the joy were always the thing.

Recollections of Katie’s life and love could in no way be complete without mention of her “doggos” whom she adored completely. She was the first to admit that Arlo and Asher were beautiful messes, and her life had grown simultaneously richer and more complex because of them. Their romps at Huckleberry Cove frequently turned into hours of lost misadventure, but Katie never held it against them nor kept them from their love of roaming. Evening walks, wrestling for bed space, and their eager faces ever pressed against the window upon her return home were unexpected bookmarks in her life that she counted among her dearest blessings.

Katie was special, not only to us but to all who experienced the reach of her love and kindness. A surprise coffee on a bad day, ice cream with Auntie anytime, the intentional lean in and gentle prod to share your burden, and her boisterous encouragement any time there was a need. Her caring was divinely inexhaustible!

Katie could always be found smack-dab in the center of any fun and laughter that was being had. Cousin Camp games, trips to the movie theater, a girl’s night out, a juicy bit of gossip, a sunrise hike, a car ride blasting tunes… heck, she’d take a nap in the center of living room chaos in order to not miss a thing!

Katie was a bright and gentle soul with iron resilience-- never one to judge another harshly by their circumstances given her own personal challenges. She rarely spoke of her struggles, yet never tired of hearing someone else’s. She made light of her darkness, reflecting an inner strength forged in fire. But how we wish we could have helped her carry those burdens the way she helped us carry ours!

We have lost the physical presence of our beloved daughter, our sister, our auntie, and our friend. We don’t understand why, but we choose to trust Him who created her, died for her, loved her more than even us, and tenderly holds her in His hands still. With every breath, we cling to the promise that all will be made new because our Savior won the victory over death. We will cherish her memory with our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus. Come soon, Lord, and sustain us until that glorious day when we embrace Katie again!

Katie was preceded in death by her grandparents, “Mema” Lois Steinkraus of Seymour, TN; “Nana” Bobbie Jean Williams and “Grandpa Dee” Desley Williams of Carlsbad, NM.

She is survived by her parents Nathan and Donna Williams of Leicester, NC; brothers Nathan (Melissa) Williams II of Southlake, TX and Ethan Williams of Bozeman, MT; sisters Natalie (Danny) Keaton of Leicester, NC, Lara Lea Williams of Chattanooga, TN, and Olivia (Matt) Whitmire of Brevard, NC; grandparents Ted (Linda) Brown, Sr. of Hudson, FL and John Steinkraus of Mishawaka, IN; nieces Abigail Williams, Zoie Keaton, Layla Keaton; nephews Nate Williams, Jake Williams, Caleb Williams, Joe Keaton, JC Keaton, Jackson Whitmire and River Whitmire; aunts Brenda Williams of Burelson, TX, and Debbie Eberhardt of Hudson, FL; uncles Danny Williams of Carlsbad, NM; and “Tyke” Ted (Desiree) Brown, Jr. of Odessa, FL; cousins Megan Massey, Jordan Williams, Kellyn Garrison, Evan Eberhardt, Charity Brown, Chelsea Brown, Taylor Brown, Ty Brown and Christopher Avaritt.

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