Obituary of Margo Williams

Margo H. Williams of Shelton went to be with her Heavenly Father and Savior for eternity on April 8, 2022, at the age of 92. She died peacefully in her home and had lived in Shelton for nearly 54 years. Ardyne Margo Haney was born on March 18, 1930 in Flint, Michigan, the third child of Ernie Haney and Alice (Williams) Haney. Her older twin sisters were stillborn, and she and her younger sister lived with their parents in Flint, Flushing, Port Huron, and Lexington in Michigan until moving to Berkeley Hills, California when Margo was a young teenager. She graduated from Arcata Union High School in northern California in 1948 and attended Humboldt State University in Arcata. Margo came from a musical family and took piano and voice lessons as a child and youth, singing and playing at her church. She would later have opportunities to sing at large venues in southern California, including the Long Beach Auditorium, as well as continued soloist and choir ministry in churches. Margo’s family moved to the Los Angeles area in 1949, where the next year she met her future husband, Leonard A. Williams, at a church meeting. They were regularly involved in church activities together and were married on May 4, 1952, in Santa Barbara, California. The day before their wedding, Leonard received his draft notice; so most of the first two years of their marriage was spent near Fort Eustis, Virginia, before returning to southern California to start their family. Margo was a homemaker while raising their children in southern California, the San Francisco Bay area, and then Shelton. While family vacationing in Oregon and Washington in 1968, Leonard landed a job at Certified Manufacturing Company (later Certified Aerospace) in Shelton, and the family moved 6 weeks later. Prior to her marriage, Margo honed her secretarial skills working for Los Angeles-area stock broker Bateman Eichler. She kept the books for a brief time when she and Leonard owned the Union 76 gas station in downtown Shelton, as well as working briefly part-time as a waitress at Taylor Towne Restaurant. She was an administrative assistant for 19 years in various positions at City of Shelton, retiring in 1992. Margo enjoyed reading and traveling, as well as boating and swimming at Lake Isabella, where she and Leonard lived for 23 years. She was especially drawn to water of any kind – whether the ocean, rivers, lakes, or Puget Sound. After retirement, the couple traveled extensively in their motor home throughout the United States and served with a group called SOWERS, providing help to several church-related organizations in the western United States. Margo was usually involved in church ministry, serving over the years as a Sunday School assistant and accompanist, choir member, soloist, greeter, and behind-the-scenes administrative helper. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Shelton for over 52 years, where she had also been involved in the LiveWires senior group. Along with Leonard, she initiated and supported the Mason County Christian School’s Bible fund and also contributed to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Samaritan’s Purse, and Flying H Youth Ranch. Margo took Christianity and her family very seriously. Her family was always her top priority. She and Leonard were ahead of their time in their shared style of parenting and believed strongly in teaching their children and grandchildren to love God. She was never happier than when surrounded by all of her extended family and was very proud of their accomplishments and mutual love for music. Margo will be remembered as a loving and faithful wife and a supportive mother and grandmother who modeled consistency, discipline, and perseverance along with her commitment to her family. Margo was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Leonard, as well as her father, mother, and three sisters. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Len and Jaynee Williams of Shelton; her daughter and son-in-law, Michelle and Ron Merrin of Kent; grandchildren Jonathan Williams (Joanna) of Shelton, Scott Merrin (Laura) of Winchester, California, Jeffrey Wilsor (Dustin) of Seattle, Brad Merrin (Dani) of Lacey, and Lauree Foster (A.J.) of Bremerton; nine great-grandchildren; and a niece, Cynthia Croom of University Place.