Obituary of Edna Priscilla Williams

Edna Priscilla Angeletti Williams

April 24, 1917 – June 1, 2018

Edna Priscilla (Angeletti) Williams of Chantilly, VA passed away peacefully when our Blessed Lord reached down for her at the Adler Center for Caring in Aldie, VA on June 1, 2018.  She was 101 years young.

Edna was born on April 24, 1917, in the small town of Conifer, PA to Ulderico “Jack” and Clara (Knepp) Angeletti.  Weighing only three pounds at birth, she had an early start at defying expectations.  Following the sudden death of her mother when she was only 10 years old, Edna and her father forged an extraordinary bond lasting both of their respective lifetimes.  She lived in Pittsburgh, PA for over 60 years before moving to Virginia with her beloved husband, the late Nelson Frederick Williams, to be near their two daughters’ families.

She was a homemaker with many interests, including a fondness for her favorite Pittsburgh sports teams.  She enjoyed working at the polls for the Democratic Party during elections through the 1950s and 1960s in her Beechview neighborhood.  Edna was a devout Catholic, serving those in need as a member of the Christian Mothers and aiding the Sisters of St. Joseph with various projects at her former parish, St. Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church in Pittsburgh.  At the time of her passing she was the oldest member of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Aldie, VA.

Edna made friends wherever she went, regaling young and old alike with her firsthand accounts of growing up during Prohibition and the Great Depression.  As a centenarian, she amazed those who knew her and openly attributed her longevity to a daily regime of exercise, mental stimulation, and lots of smiles.  Even in her final months, she danced with caregivers, played checkers with great-grandchildren, and smiled broadly while enjoying sunshine outside with her daughters.

Left to cherish her memory are daughters Clara Lou (Williams) Rush of Chantilly, VA and Jacqueline E. (Williams) Shuler of Fairfax, VA; brother George A. Angeletti of Lynnfield, MA; six grandchildren; twelve great-grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and special family friend Larry Corthell of Chantilly, VA.

In addition to her loving husband of 64 years, Nelson, she was preceded in death by an infant son, Robert Nelson Williams; brother Edward Angeletti; sisters Catherine M. (Angeletti) Hughes and Olga M. (Angeletti) Recker; and sons-in-law Ronald C. Rush and Ronald M. “Mike” Shuler.

A gathering for family and friends will be held at Adams-Green Funeral Home, 721 Elden Street, Herndon, VA 20170 on Tuesday, June 19 from 5 – 8 p.m., and will include a rosary recitation at 7:30 p.m.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, June 20 at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 750 Peachtree Street, Herndon, VA 20170.

Edna will be laid to rest in the Temple of Memories Mausoleum in Allegheny Cemetery, joining her beloved husband and other family members.  Family and friends are invited to the Raymond F. Moreland Memorial Chapel, Temple of Memories Mausoleum, 4715 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224 on Friday, June 22 at 1 p.m. for a service.

Memorial tributes may be made to Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 43130 Amberwood Plaza, Suite #150, South Riding, VA 20152.