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While Butts Williams has an extraordinary professional
career in her own right, her visit will be to witness and
participate in the induction of her late husband Dr. John
McKay Williams, DDS, (1945 – 2012) into The African American
Legacy Project’s Sports Legends Hall of Fame.
Without question, Butts
Williams husband’s life on the athletic field is full of
accomplishment, however; in a recent interview we could hear
her smiling broadly when she said, his work after sports
truly represents the man she loved, and shared life with,
for 30 years. He was not just an athlete, but a man who gave
both his time and his heart so unselfishly to so many.
This is a classic love
story like Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. This is a story of
strength, like the Mighty, Mighty Love that Ashford
and Simpson sang about. Like Barack and Michelle,
this is a story of dignity every step of the way. This is a
story about triumph. This story is about John and Barbara
Williams.
John Williams, aka Big
John to most folks in this area [Toledo, OH], was an
athletic standout at Libbey High School. He was
accomplished in three sports [football, basketball and
track]. Graduating from Libbey in 1964, John was heavily
recruited by the University of Toledo and The Ohio State
University, but ultimately deciding to accept a scholarship
to play football at the University of Minnesota. In 1967
“Big John” was selected First Team as an All Big Ten Tackle
and in that same year led the Gophers to a Big Ten Title.
Butts Williams grew up in
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Barbara watched her dad work three
jobs and says, “My mom taught me the value of earning a
paycheck while working for the janitorial company she [her
mom] owned.” Ironically, years later, Butts-Williams
occupied an office in the same building she had cleaned as a
kid, when she became the youngest director of Education and
Training for Pennsylvania’s Department of Health.
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John and Barbara had a
chance meeting when Barbara was a freshman at Morgan
State University and John was a rookie for the
Baltimore Colts. It was only a hello. Twelve years
later; they were reintroduced by mutual friends in
the Minneapolis area. They remembered their chance
meeting and that single “hello” 12 years earlier
turned into one lifelong loving, meaningful and
productive relationship.
It wasn’t fast. John was a
gentleman. He was returning to Los Angeles to wrap
up his career as a Ram and work for community health
organization, but… the two agreed to meet again. It
was to be their first date. As agreed, a few
months later “Big John” was knocking on Barbara’s
door. Butts Williams says, that moment was
important, “I said to myself, that’s the kind of man
I want to know, a person of his word.”
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After officially retiring from the NFL in 1980, John or
“Doc,” as his patients like to call him, established a
dental practice in the inner city of Minneapolis. In
addition to running a successful practice for over 35 years,
John received his doctorate of dental surgery (D.D.S.)
degree from the University of Maryland Dental School. He was
trained in forensic dentistry and served as a member of the
Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team, a program of
the US Department of Homeland Security.
During the early years of his dental career, in a changing
and struggling inner city, John was determined to stay in
the city and make a difference. He was proud of the choice
he made.
"The city is starting to come back; my patients respect what
I did, and their children and grandchildren are now
patients," he said.
John received numerous awards and recognitions during his
lifetime that included: Minneapolis Volunteer of the Year in
1992, inducted into the Toledo City League Hall of Fame in
2004, He served as a commissioner for Minneapolis St. Paul
Airport Commission for more than a decade, led a prison
ministry for over 20 years, served as the president of the
American Odontology Forensics Society of America, served as
the chairman of NORTHPOINT Health and Wellness Center, and
several other nonprofit organizations in Minneapolis.
Following the September 11, 2001 tragedy in New York City,
John participated on the identification team at the Chief
Medical Examiner's Office.
By today’s standards John and Barbara were a power couple. During the late
70’s, Butts Williams served as Director, University of
Michigan’s Executive Program at the Graduate School of
Business, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Earlier in her career, she
served as Director of Training and Development for
Pennsylvania Department of Health in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania.
Over the past 37 years,
Butts Williams has worked for several prominent companies in
the Twin Cities and remains fully engaged in the greater
metropolitan community. She currently serves on the
following boards; 1) Since 2016, board member Allina
Health a $3.9 billion health care system in Minnesota and
western Wisconsin 2) Since 2010, board member (chairman
elect) Metropolitan Economic Development Association (Meda)
provides business consulting, access to capital, and market
opportunities for minority entrepreneurs, and 3) since 2012,
commissioner (vice chairman) Minnesota’s Sports Facilities
Authority (MSFA); overseeing the construction and operations
of the 1 billion dollars plus multipurpose U.S. Bank Stadium
in downtown Minneapolis. Barbara was appointed by former
Minneapolis Mayors R.T. Rybak and Betsy Hodges to the MSFA.
John and Barbara’s love
not only blossomed but evolved as only a real love can. It
didn’t just last, it got better… because each exemplified a
strong religious and moral center and both believed in
education. They both had strong work ethics. Both had a
passion and compassion for the underserved. They both loved
people. Their love affair is our love affair. Two people
who mutually loved and respected each other. That is why
Barbara Butts Williams continues to honor “Doc” every chance
she gets.
Meet Barbara Butts
Williams on Friday, June 22, 2018 during a hospitality event
at The Premier Event Center 4480 Heatherdowns. Tickets are
$20.00 per person and can be purchased at The African
American Legacy Project.
For additional information
call 419-720-4369. |
