Peggy Ann Peppy Lucas Williams

Peggy Ann "Peppy" Lucas Williams, of Thomasville, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, February 12, 2012. She suffered from cancer. Born in St. Petersburg, Florida in 1928, Mrs. Williams was the younger daughter of the late Alpine Lucas and Cornelia Jane Peggy McIntosh Lucas. From an early age, she was a gifted athlete and an independent and determined young woman. At the age of sixteen she earned her float plane pilot's license by soloing over Boca Ciega bay in Tampa. In the process, she so alarmed her father that he refused to allow her to fly again. Mrs. Williams graduated from Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Tennessee in 1947 with a science degree. While there, she served as Vice President of her college class and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa academic fraternity. An accomplished horseback rider, she was a member of the college equestrian team and also played women's softball and basketball. Transferring to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Mrs. Williams graduated from UNC-CH in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology. While at UNC, she served in the student legislature, served as president of the Delta Delta Delta sorority chapter and was a member of the Pan Hellenic Council, and played several team sports. She was named best female athlete in the state while at UNC. After graduating, she was employed as supervisor of the blood chemistry lab at Duke University Hospital, Durham, North Carolina. In 1950, she wed Nathaniel M. Williams, Jr. of Thomasville; they were married for 52 years until his death in 2002. Mrs. Williams cherished her husband and family and remained actively involved in the lives of her four lively children. She found time to manage the horseback riding instruction at YMCA Camp Piney Woods and assisted with the Rose City Horse Show for many years. As her children left the nest, she enthusiastically resumed her participation in sports, particularly a lifelong interest in tennis. In addition to playing tennis, she was instrumental in raising money for new tennis courts at the Glen Arven Country Club as well as the Thomasville city tennis courts. Under her guidance, the Rotary Tennis Tournament drew state and nationally ranked junior players from all over the southeast. She was a longtime member of the Georgia Tennis Association and the U.S. Tennis Association. At the local level, Mrs. Williams participated in founding the Thomasville Tennis Association and served as first president of the Glen Arven Tennis Association. She played in many local and regional tennis tournaments over the years and earned hundreds of trophies and numerous rankings throughout the southeast. She and her partners were the ones to beat for many years, at one point winning the no. 1 ranking for the region. She was named to the Southern Senior Cup Team. In later years, Mrs. Williams earned certification as a USTA referee, umpire, collegiate official, and instructor. She was named umpire of the year by the GTA and outstanding umpire for the Southern Tennis Association, where she served on various committees for over 25 years. For her many accomplishments and contributions to the sport of tennis in Thomasville, Mrs. Williams was elected to the Thomasville Sports Hall of Fame. During these years, she also worked part-time as a medical technologist at the John D. Archbold Hospital laboratory in Thomasville. In addition to tennis, Mrs. Williams and her husband were accomplished gardeners, whose large yard remains full of the camellias and spring bulbs they planted. Other passions included birding, rooting loudly for her beloved T'ville Bulldogs and UNC Tarheels, solving crossword puzzles, and reading. Family and friends will remember Peppy for her generosity, her unselfish devotion to the people and the causes that she loved; her keen wit and sense of humor, and her indefatigable spirit and love of life. Survivors include three children: Nathanial M. "Mac" Williams, III Tallahassee, Fla., Anne Williams Cottingham Washington, DC, Joan McIntosh Williams Thomasville, three grandchildren: Caitlin Roberts Cottingham, Laura Lucas Cottingham, and Allison Mary Williams, and son-in-law David Cottingham. Her son James Bowers Williams died in 2005. She is also survived by her sister, Joan L. Tucker St. Petersburg, Fla. and family, and devoted friend Carolyn Hart. Memorial services will be held at Allen & Allen Funeral Home, 110 West Hansell Street, Thomasville, at 3 p.m. on Friday, March 30. The family will welcome friends at the residence following the service. In keeping with the wishes of Mrs. Williams, memorials may be sent to Hospice of Southwest Georgia, 114 A Mimosa Dr, Thomasville, Ga 31792 or the Thomasville Humane Society, 180 Big Star Dr, Thomasville, Ga 31792. Guests may sign the online register at www.allenfh.com