Obituary of Emily Webster Williams

Emily Webster Williams died peacefully at home in Essex, Connecticut on May 8th, 2021. She was born in New York City on January 4th, 1939, the daughter of Emily Johnston deForest and Dr. Leslie Tillotson Webster. Emily married Evan Snyder in 1959, and they were the proud parents of Amy, David, Matthew and Andrew, who were born in Rochester, New York, Washington D.C., and Amherst, Massachusetts, respectively. They eventually settled in Glastonbury, Connecticut, where her children spent most of their formative years. Following her separation from Evan, Emily completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Hartford. She then turned an undergraduate internship at Mount Sinai Hospital into a career as their Director of Public Relations - and, a decade later, decided a better way to blend her love of human connection with a desire to help others would be to get a master’s degree at the Smith College School for Social Work. Emily was an exceptional therapist. She was a champion of acceptance and empowerment for her family, her clients, and the LGBTQ community. She spearheaded the effort at FIrst Congregational Church of Essex to become an open and affirming congregation, a designation they officially adopted in 2010. She also served as a trustee of the Williston Northampton School during the 1970’s, from which her son Andrew graduated. She retired from private practice in Old Saybrook in 2014. Following the death of her second husband, Walt Williams, and her subsequent retirement, Emily moved to Essex Meadows in Essex, Connecticut. There she met and married Robert Butler, and enjoyed her last years in his loving company. She is survived by her husband Bob, and her brother John Webster of Mystic, Connecticut; her daughter Amy Colo of Boulder, Colorado; her son Andrew (& Melanie) Snyder of Old Lyme, Connecticut; and her son David Snyder (& fiancée Holly Westerhausen) of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Her six grandchildren and her many Webster nieces and nephews will also miss her dearly.