Thomas Franklin "Tommy" Williams, 55, passed away Tuesday, June 24, 2014 after a courageous battle with cancer at Mission-St. Joseph Hospital. Tommy was born in Augusta, Georgia, son of Franklin H. Williams, Jr. and Beatrice Edwards Williams. Tommy was a 1976 graduate of Windsor Forest High School and a 1980 graduate of Armstrong State College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems. In 1982, he began a career in the IT healthcare field and at the time of his passing was employed with Mission-St. Joseph Hospital in Asheville as Director of Applications and Integration Development Information Technology. When you met Tommy you realized from the beginning that he was dedicated to his family. His family always came first. He was a loving son, brother and uncle that adored his nieces and nephews. You could always count on Tommy with his generous and kind heart. In other words, he would literally give you the shirt off his back. He leaves a legacy of love, family, courage, quick wit and the ability to insert a pun or two. In his career, he was a meticulous and organized planner that enjoyed his job to the fullest. He attended the First Baptist Church of Asheville and was an avid Mustang collector and member of the Mustang Club of Asheville. Not only did Tommy love his family, he loved and supported animal causes as well. He enjoyed sharing a love of Braves baseball and collecting coins and baseball cards with his father. He was preceded by his mother, Beatrice Edwards Williams.

He is survived by his father, Franklin H. Williams, Jr. of Savannah, GA; life partner, Sarah Weiss of Asheville, NC; siblings, Dianne W. England (Gary) of Harvest, AL; Jeff Williams (Sheila) of Concord, NC; Chuck Williams of Pooler, GA; Cindy W. Stavely (Chris) of Pt. Wentworth, GA; nieces and nephews, Chris, Kayce, Andrew, Jennifer, James, Shelby, Marissa and five grandnieces.

A memorial service to celebrate Tommy's life will be at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 1, 2014 in the Hodgson Chapel of Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors. The family will receive friends from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. prior to the service. The interment will be private.

Remembrances: In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Care Partners Hospice Foundation, P.O. Box 25338, Asheville, NC 28813.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to Tommy's coworkers and hospital staff at Mission-St. Joseph Hospital for the exemplary care and support given to him during his time of employment and illness. He was very close to his team and appreciated their loyalty and support over the years.