John Prince Williams entered into the arms of Jesus Christ on March 17, 2021.  A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, John was born on September 12, 1948.  He was the first of two children born to the late Justina H. Williams and John Williams, Jr.  He married Parepa “PJ” McCrae Williams on June 18, 1971 and their union was blessed with two children, Michael and Valarie.  At the time of his passing, John was an active member of Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, NC where he sang in the choir.  He was also an avid member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. 

John had many faces.  He was a singer, a family man, a bank executive, a big brother, a civic activist, an art collector, and a photographer.  John was a graduate of the UNC School of the Arts and the Credit Union Management School at the University of Georgia.  Additionally, John served on the board of the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation.  Through the years, John spent many years balancing his singing career with his professional banking career at Wachovia Bank, the former R.J. Reynolds Carolina Federal Credit Union, and finally Allegacy Federal Credit Union.  In 2012, he retired from Allegacy Federal Credit Union after 33 years, where he held various positions including Loan Officer, Branch Manager, Vice President of Human Resources, and most recently, Vice President of Governmental and Community Affairs. 

John was known for his smooth bass-baritone voice.  His vocal talents surfaced at a very young age when he sang in the Tots Choir at First Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC.  As his talent emerged, he began singing solos in several music programs at J.W. Ligon High School in Raleigh.  It was after his freshman year at Ligon that he transferred to the UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem as a high school sophomore.  He completed his high school education as well as his college education at the School of the Arts.  During that time, he had a robust singing career in the Winston-Salem area, around the state of North Carolina, and in the Mid-Atlantic region.  John performed in operas, with symphonies, and in recitals at many venues and universities.  He was often the bass-baritone soloist with the Greensboro Choral Society.  He loved singing in churches and began his solo career at First Presbyterian Church.  In addition, he was a soloist with the Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church where they performed in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg.  Further, John performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and with the North Carolina and Winston-Salem Symphonies, to name a few.  He also performed musical selections by several composers and in multiple languages, demonstrating his vocal range and versatility.  During his musical career, he won numerous awards and competitions.  He was a Southeastern Regional Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1985.

John has been a civic activist in the Winston-Salem community for more than 50 years.  He often said that Winston-Salem has been good to him, but in reality, he has also been good to the Winston-Salem community and to the entire state of North Carolina.  He was past Music Director for the Twin City Choristers and past president of the Board of Directors of the Gateway Music Festival.  He was appointed by former Governor Michael Easley to the Board of Trustees of the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh.  John also served on the Board of Trustees of the UNC School of the Arts and was a member of the Chancellor Search Committee.

Not only did John have a passion for the performing arts, he also had a passion for the visual arts.  He and PJ have been art collectors for many years.  Their collection includes over 50 paintings and numerous sculptures.

John was an amateur photographer and enjoyed visually capturing life around the Winston-Salem area as well as scenes from his domestic and international travels.  In 2012, he exhibited several of his photographs in a photography show at Allegacy Federal Credit Union.  In 2014, he had another photography show at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Through the Big Brother organization, John began mentoring several young men who have benefitted from his guidance and encouragement.  These young men have gone on to be family men and productive members of their communities.  Most notably, dating back to 1999, special bonds were developed with Christopher Young (deceased), Jay Garcia, Brandon Long, and Surquin Johnson, all of whom made John proud to watch them evolve from boys to fine young men.  John also found time to mentor both young and veteran singers.

John made an impact and left an everlasting imprint on all who met him and on society at large.  His musical acumen was immeasurable.  His love for humanity was a love for all of us.  The love for his family was evident in every fiber of his being.  John’s many accomplishments while juggling family life, music, banking, civic affairs, and mentorship, is acknowledgement of an amazing life well lived. 

After a long and beautiful life, John leaves to cherish precious memories, his wife of almost 50 years, Parepa “PJ” McCrae Williams; he is also survived by his devoted children, Michael of Columbia, South Carolina and Valarie of the home; two beloved grandchildren, Justin and Kennedi; John is also survived by his dear sister, Gerri Williams Joice (Alan) of Kensington, Maryland; fond memories will always be cherished by his aunts, Brenda Watkins of Huntsville, Alabama and Launa Daniel of Columbia, Missouri; his uncle, William Harris of Orange, New Jersey; his mother-in-law, Iva D. McCrae of Durham, NC; and his loyal mentees, Jay Garcia,  Brandon Long, and Surquin Johnson; other loving survivors include a host of nieces and nephews, cousins, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and many dear friends.

Private family memorial services will be held Saturday, March 27, 2021. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to The Enrichment Center at 1006 Marshall Street SW, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.

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