WILLIAMS, HARDER

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 04:21:33 :

Independent Journal
Saturday, May 28, 1977
Page 4

HARRY M. WILLIAMS, 76, San Rafael mortician

Long-time Marin mortuary owner and civic leader Harry M. Williams died last night after suffering an apparent heart attack in his San Rafael apartment.

Williams, 76, had just returned from visiting his wife, Gertrude, at Ross General Hospital when he was stricken.

He was in the mortuary business for 57 years, 47 of them in San Rafael, and was active in many business and civic organizations.

He was born in Oakland and attended public schools there before enlisting in the Navy in 1917. He later served with the Second Marine Division in the battle of the Argonne Woods.

After the war, Williams was employed with the James Taylor Company Mortuary in Oakland.

In 1926, he moved to San Rafael, where he was chief deputy coroner and deputy public administrator under Coroner Ray Keaton. In 1945, Williams established his own mortuary on Third Street.

Williams was a member of the Marin County Parks and Recreation Commission for 28 years. He also was active with the Marin Red Cross, the Elks, Masons, Knights Templar, Sciots, Shrine Club, Native Sons of the Golden West, Rotary and the Marin Rod and Gun Club, as well as many professional groups.

Williams was a commander of Wilkins Post, American Legion, and was one of the first members of the Marin County Peace Officers Association. He was a San Rafael fire commissioner for six years.

Williams sold his mortuary in 1973 to Michael Heffernan of Stockton.

In addition to his wife of 56 years, Williams is survived by a daughter, Janice Ann Harder of San Rafael.

Funeral arrangements are pending at Keaton’s Mortuary, San Rafael.