The Alabama State University (ASU) community is mourning the loss of Joshua John Robert Williams, a beloved Residence Hall Coordinator at Facility One (F1). Williams died of an undisclosed illness, and his life will be celebrated in a homegoing service on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, at noon at Person Chapel AME in Midway, Ala.
A family hour will be held the day prior, on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. CST at Allen Funeral Home in Union Springs, Ala. Interment will take place immediately after the funeral services at Memory Gardens, also located in Midway, where friends, family, and colleagues will gather to honor his life and legacy.
“He basically was the director,” said Rakesha Hines, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs in regards to his role at Facility 1. “He managed the day-to-day operations to ensure that the building was covered and secure for the residents.”
Joshua’s dedication to his work extended to being deeply invested in the well-being of students. “He had a very bubbly attitude,” Hines recalled. “He was always smiling, very kind, and really there to assist students in any way he could.”
Hines continued.
“His heart was to help folks,” she said. “He had the desire to continue his education and pursue his master’s, and I was talking with him about how I could better support him. But overall, he just had a great personality. Anybody who wanted or needed his assistance, he was always willing to help.”
Cameron Drummond, a senior computer science major and former resident assistant (RA) at Facility 1, described Joshua as a “rock” in his professional life.
“When I became an RA, he was the director, so he was really my boss, in a sense,” Drummond explained. “We just watched over the building and helped students if they needed somebody to talk to. He was always positive, even when things weren’t great. He never let things get to him.”
Drummond shared fond memories of their time working together, especially during the spring semester of 2024. “That’s when we first really bonded, during welcome week,” Drummond said. “Seeing how he operated and worked with students, that was our best bonding moment.”
Joshua’s upbeat personality and love for pop idol Beyoncé, strengthened their friendship. “He was a big Beyoncé fan,” Drummond added. “Whenever he was in the room, he was just a positive person, funny, and always lifting others up.”
Mya Terry, a senior biology pre-health major and another RA in Facility 1, shared how deeply she was affected by Joshua’s passing. “I was really sad, honestly. I was really shocked,” she said. “But I knew he was kind of sick because he hadn’t returned to work since move-in week. He spoke to everybody. He knew all of the residents’ names. He was really nice.”
One of Mya’s fondest memories of Joshua was their time spent together watching TV shows. “What I remember most is his friendly attitude,” she said. “One of my favorite memories is us watching Real Housewives of Atlanta. We enjoyed watching that together or Married to Medicine. We always would crack up and laugh at them on the show. That’s probably one of my favorite moments with him.”
The ASU community has expressed their commitment to supporting Joshua’s family in this time of loss.
“As a department, we are definitely going to support his family,” Hines said. “His family was very appreciative of the correspondence ASU sent to the university. We will continue to support them during this difficult time.”
