Arvid Williams Obituary

Arvid Williams HAYWARD, CA - Arvid Eugene Williams, 62, of Hayward, California passed away peacefully at his home on Thursday, May 2, 2013. Arvid was born in Charleston, South Carolina on Friday, April 27, 1951, son of Apostle Ann Donald. Arvid found Christ at an early age and was a faithful and dutiful member of Elmhurst United Methodist Church. He attended the Charleston school system and graduated from Fort Johnson High School in 1969. Shortly after graduating from high school, Arvid ventured to Boston, MA, where he enjoyed all that the northeast corridor had to offer. In the late 1970's, Arvid relocated to San Francisco, CA, where he enjoyed living life to the fullest. While living in "the city," Arvid was employed by the San Francisco Public Library and the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. While in San Francisco, he attended City College of San Francisco and San Francisco State University. During the 1980's, he moved to Oakland, CA. His employment included: College of Arts and Crafts and Planned Parenthood. Arvid retired in June 30, 2012 after 11 years of faithful service at the College of Alameda as a Library Technician. Many knew Arvid as a great cook, a talented home decorator, and a dedicated and devoted friend. Arvid loved all types of music, ranging from jazz, classical, soul and gospel. He was also a gifted vocalist, and sang with several Bay Area groups. He loved to entertain audiences with a variety of musical genres. Arvid enjoyed hosting events and gatherings at his home, as well as traveling. Ever the globetrotter, he enjoyed several vacations to Paris and London; cruising to Mexico and the Caribbean; taking trips to sunny Hawaii, the beautiful Dominican Republic, and the island of Puerto Rico were his all-time favorite vacation destinations. Arvid had many favorite domestic locations as well, as evidenced by his numerous trips to the "Show-Me" state of Missouri, where he enjoyed going "down home" to visit the Kitchen family in Sedalia; visiting friends in St. Louis; and eating Bar-B-Q in Kansas City. He always enjoyed celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans; walking on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach; and taking the "EL" train to visit friends on the southside of Chicago. Besides going home to his beloved Charleston to see family and friends, one of Arvid's favorite ways of "getting away," was hitting the slots in Las Vegas! Arvid is preceded in death by his mother Apostle Ann Donald, and his loving and caring grandmother Annie Farrison Williams. He is survived by his brother Lamont (Billy) Williams; son Dana Brewer, Boston, MA; several grandchildren; two aunts, Dr. Mary Williams, Bella Vista, AR and Beverly Williams, Charleston, SC; one uncle, Dr. John Williams, Charleston, SC; a close family friend and sister, Tonya Wong Smith, Charleston, SC, and a host of cousins and friends from coast to coast. A Celebration of Life for Arvid Eugene Williams is scheduled for Friday, June 14, 2013 at Elmhurst United Methodist Church in Oakland, CA. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston