Barbara Williams' Obituary
Barbara Williams was born October 13, 1946, to the late Arthur Williams and Reverend Betty (Williams) Saunders in New York, New York. Soon after, the family moved to Waterbury, Connecticut, where Barbara attended public schools, graduating from Wilby High School. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from Pace College, New York.
Always striving for excellence, Barbara continued her educational pursuits by receiving a fellowship from the Consortium for Graduate Study and earning her Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in finance from the University of Southern California Graduate School of Business Administration.
Barbara had an illustrious career. She became a Certified Public Accountant while working as an auditor at the accounting firm, Arthur Andersen. Other positions within Barbara’s career progression included: Assistant to the Treasurer, Castle & Cooke; Manager, Xerox/Diablo Systems; Accounting Lecturer, California State University East Bay; Comptroller, Arthur Young; Executive Director, Accounting Career Awareness Program; Accounting Lecturer, San Francisco State University; and culminating as Professor and Chairperson, Business Department, Contra Costa Community College. Barbara established an entrepreneurial studies and weekend business certificate program there, allowing students to earn their certificates in only two semesters.
A trailblazer in the field of accounting, Barbara was a founding member of the New York chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA). She persevered in a male dominated profession, and created a pathway for women and men from various cultures to pursue careers in finance and accounting. She served as the first Executive Director of the Accounting Career Awareness Program (ACAP), which launched in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1989. Her vision and efforts for the program left an impact that is still felt today, and has provided opportunities to hundreds of high school students.
Barbara was most proud of her life-changing 36 years of sobriety, serenity and service to others. This led to a sense of enlightenment and peace evident in her poetry - writing under her artistic name Akosua - and beautiful watercolor paintings. Barbara also loved to travel. In addition to traveling throughout the U.S., she traveled extensively abroad. Countries visited included: Islands in the Caribbean (including Cuba), Italy, Greece, France, Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Estonia, Montenegro, Finland, Russia, Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico. Often, she indulged in the smooth jazz cruises which she loved.
Barbara departed this life peacefully, surrounded by her beloved spouse, Stephen Richards, and two of her siblings, Gloria and Arthur. Barbara is survived by siblings: Arthur Williams (Carolyn) Oakland, California; Paulette Williams Turner (James) Columbia, Maryland; Linda Williams Randolph (Kenneth) Atlanta, Georgia; Gloria Williams Ritchon (Albert) and Patricia Saunders, both of Hayward, California; step-daughter: Kathryn Ricks (Jarom) Cedar Valley, Utah; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and a host of special friends.
The Williams-Richards family expresses its sincere appreciation and gratitude for the many acts of kindness evidenced in prayers, thoughts and deeds shown to them during this time of bereavement.
If you desire to honor Barbara with a donation, in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Barbara Williams Scholarship Fund at the Accounting Career Awareness Program (ACAP). Such donations can be made at www.acapsf.org, or with a check payable to: “ACAP, Care of the Barbara Williams Scholarship Fund”, and mailed to: ACAP, 875-A Island Drive, Alameda, CA 94502.
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