Edward Williams, third-generation garden center owner, dies

Edward A. Williams, a third-generation owner of Williams Nursery in Westfield, N.J., died on July 15 after suffering an apparent heart attack.  He was 74.

Williams was born in November 1936 and lived his entire life in Westfield. He graduated Westfield High School in 1955, and then went to Rutgers to study landscape design. He was the clerk of the Westfield National Guard Armory for 10 years. He married his wife Joan in 1960, and the couple recently had celebrated their 51st anniversary.

Williams' son, David Williams, is a partner at the company. The younger Williams is the president of Garden Centers of America.

Ed Williams  worked in his family’s business from childhood through his later years. Williams Nursery has become a nationally recognized and respected business largely because of his insight and dedication. Ed would search for plants all over the country and was the first person to bring plants from Monrovia Nursery in California to homes east of the Mississippi. (Monrovia now ships plants all over the United States.)

Ed Williams will be remembered for his warmth and kindness to others. His constant smile added value to everyone’s day.  He loved telling jokes and was very quick witted. Ed was very passionate about the family business. What made it really special was that he got to spend quality time with his family and at the same time do something that he loved.

Ed Williams is survived by wife Joan; son David and daughter Denise and son-in-law Greg Jackson; sisters Pat and Shirley; and grandchildren Dakota, Melanie, and Taylor. 

Viewing will be 5-8 p.m. Monday July 18 at the Higgins & Bonner Echo Lake Funeral Home, 582 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, N.J. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 19.

In addition to flowers, donations may be made to Garden Centers of America (GCA) Memorial Scholarship Fund,  PO Box 2945, LaGrange, Georgia 30241.