Jean Louise Shenk Williams
April 6, 1934 – March 24, 2025
Our Mother passed away peacefully with her daughters at her side after an extended decline. She lived in Knoxville, TN to be close to her eldest daughter, Tami Adams.
Jean is predeceased by her parents, Paul and Violet Shenk, her brother Marlin Shenk, her precious son Paul, and her husband Kater. She is survived by her sister Betty (Olan) Smith of Sunbury, PA, her daughters Tami Adams of Knoxville, TN, Paula (Barry) Greer of Inlet Beach, FL, Jane Williams of Cleveland, OH, Christy (Brian) Williams of Eugene, OR, 10 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, a special niece and husband Sybil and Earl Starling of Dothan and many nieces and nephews.
Jean is a native of Annville, PA. After graduating high school at 17, she enlisted in the Air Force the month she turned 18. Her training and service landed her at Brookley AFB in Mobile AL where she met a handsome young Police Officer named Kater Williams. They married in 1955 and celebrated 63 anniversaries before Kater’s death in 2018. They began raising a family of 5 children in Mobile. She was known as the “fun Mom” in the neighborhood! We once had a Monopoly tournament that lasted for a week.
After her husband retired from the Mobile Police Department, the family relocated to Dothan, AL in 1974 when Kater accepted
the position of Chief of Police. Jean was very active in Dothan, serving on many Boards and Community organizations while managing her home. She was employed by the James Grant Company as a bookkeeper and a realtor for a number of years.
Kater and Jean enjoyed their time at the beach and resided in Panama City Beach, FL for a number of years before returning to Dothan during their retirement.
Jean will be remembered for her dedication to her family, her love of travel, and her loyalty to friends and the community. She had many hobbies from sewing and crochet, to playing cards and working puzzles on her iPad. Mom was a voracious reader. She raised her children in church and always enjoyed singing in the choir. Throughout her life she had been a faithful member of Gulf Hills Baptist Church in Mobile, First Baptist Church of Dothan, and Gulfview Methodist in Panama City Beach.
