James R. Williams, who served as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio (1978-1982) passed away on Friday, November 6, 2020. He was 88. He also served as an Akron Municipal Court judge, a member of the Akron City Council, and Summit County’s first Black Common Please Court judge. He was a civil rights leader and an officer with the Akron and Ohio branches of the NAACP. Ebony magazine named Williams one of the 100 most influential Black Americans.

Williams was preceded in death by his first wife, Catherine. He is survived by his wife, Jewell Cardwell-Williams and two children, Michael and Jacqueline, and four grandchildren.

As is our custom, NAFUSA will arrange for an American flag to be flown over Main Justice in James’ honor as a token of the esteem with which he was held by his colleagues.

Read full obituary from the Akron Beacon Journal