Gwendolyn Williams Obituary

Gwendolyn Williams departed this life on Feb. 23, 2026, at St. Charles Mercy Hospital in Oregon, Ohio. She was 62.

Gwen was a smart woman with a gift for speaking and advocacy. She often used her voice to help people in her friendship circle and those who were incarcerated rebuild their lives.

Gwen was born on Jan. 29, 1964, at Mercy Hospital in Benton Harbor. She spent her early life in Benton Harbor where she was the president of the senior class at Benton Harbor High School. She briefly lived in San Francisco and returned to Michigan and lived between Kalamazoo and Benton Harbor during her adult years. In Benton Harbor, Gwen worked diligently in substance recovery. She worked at the Riverwood Center Behavioral Health Urgent Care Clinic in Benton Harbor. Gwen led multiple Narcotics Anonymous meetings at various locations in the city. Lastly, she started the nonprofit organization Our Lifeline, Inc., which provided transportation to rehab for people struggling with addiction. She beat addiction and remained sober for 30 years.

Gwen is survived by her daughter, Princess Williams of Chicago; siblings: Blanche Williams of Washington, D.C., Renee Frazier of Grand Rapids, Evonne Williams of Benton Harbor and special friends: Coralee McSmith of Portage, Mich., and Cornell Lloyd of Kalamazoo.

She was preceded in death by her parents: Ida B. and Johnnie Williams; and siblings: Rozelle Williams, John Mickey Williams, Elizabeth Williams and Ida Mae Hayes.

A funeral service in Gwen's honor will be at noon on Friday, March 6, at Harbor of Hope Seventh-day Adventist Church, 769 Pipestone St., Benton Harbor. A viewing will be at 11 a.m.