Basic Information
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Linda Barbara Williams |
| Birth Name | Linda Payne |
| Born | June 22, 1943 |
| Died | November 16, 2016 |
| Age at Death | 73 |
| Occupation | Nonprofit fundraiser; Director of Principal Gifts (Memorial Sloan Kettering); Major-gifts fundraiser (Michael J. Fox Foundation) |
| Spouse | Gurney Williams III |
| Children | Kimberly Williams-Paisley; Ashley Williams; Jay Williams |
| Grandchildren | William “Huck” Paisley (b. 2007); Jasper Warren Paisley (b. 2009); Gus Williams Dodson (b. 2014); Odie Sal Dodson (b. 2017); Jack Williams; Samuel Williams |
| Illness | Primary Progressive Aphasia (diagnosed mid-2000s) |
| Known For | Transformative philanthropic work; family advocacy around dementia |
Early Years and Marriage
Born in the summer of 1943, Linda Payne grew into adulthood with a keen curiosity and a steady moral compass. In 1967, she married writer-editor Gurney Williams III, beginning a partnership that would anchor a bustling, creative household. Together they raised three children—Kimberly, Jay, and Ashley—through years punctuated by school recitals, auditions, manuscripts, and a constant hum of family energy. Their home life had the sturdy feel of a well-built bridge: flexible when storms blew in, strong enough to hold everyone up.
A Career Built on Generosity
Linda found her calling in the world of philanthropy, where persistence and empathy are as essential as strategy. She served as Director of Principal Gifts at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, stewarding major relationships and helping drive support for lifesaving research and care. Later, she became an early and influential major-gifts fundraiser for the Michael J. Fox Foundation, where her efforts were repeatedly credited with raising millions of dollars. Numbers tell part of the story; the rest resides in the trust she inspired and the momentum she helped create for medical research.
Her style was both practical and humane: a deft listener, a clear communicator, and a tenacious advocate for causes that mattered. In the complex ballet of fundraising—aligning donor passion with urgent need—Linda moved with purpose, always making the spotlight about the mission, never about herself.
Motherhood and Family Threads
Linda’s legacy is inseparable from her children and grandchildren, a family tree that intertwines art, service, and community. Her eldest, Kimberly Williams-Paisley (born 1971), became an actress and author, later marrying musician Brad Paisley. They welcomed two sons: William “Huck” (2007) and Jasper Warren (2009). Ashley Williams carved her own path in television and film, marrying producer Neal Dodson; their sons are Gus Williams Dodson (2014) and Odie Sal Dodson (2017). Jay Williams, often described as a steady and grounded presence, is the family’s quiet anchor; his children, Jack and Samuel, add their own links to the chain.
A family scene with Linda often included laughter, dry wit, and an underscoring sense that everyone had a role to play—whether on set, in a writer’s room, in a firehouse, or around the dinner table. She was the gravity that held disparate orbits in balance.
Health Journey: Strength in the Storm
In the mid-2000s, Linda was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia (PPA), an early-onset form of dementia that slowly erodes language. For a communicator who built bridges with words, the diagnosis was a quiet earthquake. The family responded as families do—imperfectly at first, then steadily, learning the rhythms of caregiving and the stubborn patience demanded by neurodegenerative disease.
Their experience became a lantern for others. In 2016, Kimberly published a memoir, Where the Light Gets In, rendering the caregiving journey with candor, humor, and grace. The book reframed the family’s private ordeal as a public act of service, helping readers recognize symptoms, discuss difficult choices, and hold onto dignity when language begins to fade.
Key Dates and Milestones
| Year/Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| June 22, 1943 | Birth of Linda Payne (later Linda Barbara Williams) |
| 1967 | Marriage to Gurney Williams III |
| 1971 | Birth of daughter Kimberly |
| Mid-2000s | Diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia |
| 2007 | Birth of grandson William “Huck” Paisley |
| 2009 | Birth of grandson Jasper Warren Paisley |
| 2014 | Birth of grandson Gus Williams Dodson |
| April 2016 | Publication of Where the Light Gets In |
| 2016 | Passing of Linda at age 73 |
| 2017 | Birth of grandson Odie Sal Dodson |
A Family Snapshot
| Family Member | Role | Partner | Children (with birth years) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linda Barbara Williams | Mother; fundraiser | Gurney Williams III | Kimberly; Jay; Ashley |
| Kimberly Williams-Paisley | Actress; author | Brad Paisley | William “Huck” (2007); Jasper (2009) |
| Ashley Williams | Actress | Neal Dodson | Gus (2014); Odie (2017) |
| Jay Williams | Publicly described as hands-on and community-minded | — | Jack; Samuel |
Legacy and Remembrance
Linda’s professional legacy lives on in the programs and research she helped fund, the teams she mentored, and the donors she galvanized. Her family’s continuing advocacy around dementia awareness extends that impact, transforming private hardship into public education and empathy. The arc of her life—marriage in 1967, major gifts across decades, diagnosis in the mid-2000s, and passing in 2016—reads like a compass pointing toward service. Even as language slipped away, the story she wrote in the world stayed clear: build, support, give, repeat.
FAQ
Who was Linda Barbara Williams?
She was a nonprofit fundraising leader, wife of writer-editor Gurney Williams III, and mother of Kimberly, Jay, and Ashley.
What did she do professionally?
She led principal gifts at Memorial Sloan Kettering and was an early major-gifts fundraiser at the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
When was she born and when did she pass away?
She was born on June 22, 1943, and died on November 16, 2016.
Who was her spouse?
She married Gurney Williams III in 1967.
Who are her children?
Her children are Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Jay Williams, and Ashley Williams.
How many grandchildren did she have, and who are they?
She had six grandchildren: William “Huck,” Jasper, Gus, Odie, Jack, and Samuel.
What illness did she face?
She was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, a rare form of early-onset dementia.
What is primary progressive aphasia?
It is a neurodegenerative condition that primarily affects language and speech over time.
Which book chronicles her family’s experience?
Where the Light Gets In, written by Kimberly Williams-Paisley in 2016.
What causes were important to her?
Medical research and patient care, especially in oncology and neurodegenerative disease, were central to her philanthropic work.
