Obituaries
Obituary for Beverly Jean Williams-Cleaves
Live Stream Link: https://youtu.be/38Onr6pPuNA
Dr. Beverly Jean Williams-Cleaves passed away Saturday, May 9, 2020 at Methodist Germantown Hospital, after suffering from pancreatic cancer.
She entered the world on August 16, 1943 in Mason, TN - the youngest of three daughters born to John Ed and Odessa Fields Williams.
Always an achiever, she was the valedictorian of her Manassas High School Class of 1961. Dr. Williams-Cleaves attended Howard University and received her medical degree in 1969 from the University of Tennessee (UT) Memphis. She focused on internal medicine as she continued her residency at the prestigious Beth Israel Hospital in Boston and practiced for several years in San Francisco.
Eventually returning home to become the first African American female endocrinologist in Memphis, Dr. Williams-Cleaves facilitated scores of community health fairs and organized many educational outreach programs. For many years she served as an associate professor in the endocrinology division at UT Health Sciences Center (UTHSC) and lead the endocrine outpatient clinics at the MedPlex Clinic.
Dr. Williams-Cleaves was dedicated to serving her community, and her numerous civic and social involvements included Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Society for the Arts Inc., Bluff City Medical Society, Leadership Memphis, Healthy Memphis Common Table, serving on the board of LeMoyne-Owen College, and the American Diabetes Association.
A lifelong member of Friendship Baptist Church, she led the establishment of the church’s monthly “Feed the Less Fortunate” program which has grown to include a clothes closet and health screenings.
Sharing her sisters’ commitment to helping young people achieve their educational goals and honoring their parents, she joined them to launch the John Ed and Odessa Williams Scholarship Fund at Friendship Baptist Church; the Sisters Williams 3 Scholarship Fund at Manassas High School, and the Annual John Ed and Odessa Williams Endowment Lectureship and Community Forum on Diabetes at UTHSC.
She was regularly recognized as one of the city's Top Doctors in Memphis Magazine, and in Sept. of 2011, was honored to have been presented an Outstanding Alumnus Award by the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Alumni Association. She has been the recipient of many awards and significant recognitions over the years, but her family will tell you she hardly ever talks about her honors
Her sister Willie Mae Williams Crittendon preceded her sister in death in 2015.
Left to mourn Dr. Williams-Cleaves’ passing are her loving husband Calvin; daughter Marinda Anderson; sister Ethelyn Williams-Neal, M.D.; nieces Pam Crittendon Johnson (Doug) and Jehan L. Roberson; nephews Sheldon C. Crittendon (Lolita) and William C, Roberson; son Calvin II (Georgette); daughter Carlotta Cleaves Williams (Terence); 4 grandchildren - Terence (T.J.) Williams, Jr.; Calvin D. Cleaves III, Addyson Cleaves and Astasia Williams, along with a host of extended family, friends, classmates, colleagues, students and mentees.
Serenity Funeral Home, Tel. (901)379-0861.
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Dr. Beverly Jean Williams-Cleaves passed away Saturday, May 9, 2020 at Methodist Germantown Hospital, after suffering from pancreatic cancer.
She entered the world on August 16, 1943 in Mason, TN - the youngest of three daughters born to John Ed and Odessa Fields Williams.
Always an achiever, she was the valedictorian of her Manassas High School Class of 1961. Dr. Williams-Cleaves attended Howard University and received her medical degree in 1969 from the University of Tennessee (UT) Memphis. She focused on internal medicine as she continued her residency at the prestigious Beth Israel Hospital in Boston and practiced for several years in San Francisco.
Eventually returning home to become the first African American female endocrinologist in Memphis, Dr. Williams-Cleaves facilitated scores of community health fairs and organized many educational outreach programs. For many years she served as an associate professor in the endocrinology division at UT Health Sciences Center (UTHSC) and lead the endocrine outpatient clinics at the MedPlex Clinic.
Dr. Williams-Cleaves was dedicated to serving her community, and her numerous civic and social involvements included Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Society for the Arts Inc., Bluff City Medical Society, Leadership Memphis, Healthy Memphis Common Table, serving on the board of LeMoyne-Owen College, and the American Diabetes Association.
A lifelong member of Friendship Baptist Church, she led the establishment of the church’s monthly “Feed the Less Fortunate” program which has grown to include a clothes closet and health screenings.
Sharing her sisters’ commitment to helping young people achieve their educational goals and honoring their parents, she joined them to launch the John Ed and Odessa Williams Scholarship Fund at Friendship Baptist Church; the Sisters Williams 3 Scholarship Fund at Manassas High School, and the Annual John Ed and Odessa Williams Endowment Lectureship and Community Forum on Diabetes at UTHSC.
She was regularly recognized as one of the city's Top Doctors in Memphis Magazine, and in Sept. of 2011, was honored to have been presented an Outstanding Alumnus Award by the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Alumni Association. She has been the recipient of many awards and significant recognitions over the years, but her family will tell you she hardly ever talks about her honors
Her sister Willie Mae Williams Crittendon preceded her sister in death in 2015.
Left to mourn Dr. Williams-Cleaves’ passing are her loving husband Calvin; daughter Marinda Anderson; sister Ethelyn Williams-Neal, M.D.; nieces Pam Crittendon Johnson (Doug) and Jehan L. Roberson; nephews Sheldon C. Crittendon (Lolita) and William C, Roberson; son Calvin II (Georgette); daughter Carlotta Cleaves Williams (Terence); 4 grandchildren - Terence (T.J.) Williams, Jr.; Calvin D. Cleaves III, Addyson Cleaves and Astasia Williams, along with a host of extended family, friends, classmates, colleagues, students and mentees.
Serenity Funeral Home, Tel. (901)379-0861.
Previous Events
Visitation
Thursday
14
May
1:00 PM
- 5:00 PM
Serenity Funeral Home
1638 Sycamore View Road
Memphis, TN 38134
Service
Friday
15
May
1:00 PM
Serenity Funeral Home
1638 Sycamore View Road
Memphis, TN 38134
Repast
Friday
15
May
3:00 PM
Serenity Place
1648 Sycamore View Rd.
Memphis, TN 38134
Cemetery Details
Location
West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery
4000 Forest Hill Irene Road
Memphis, TN 38125
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