Dr. Grier Moffatt Williams Sr. (June 19 1931 - April 19 2004) was a music director and educator best known for his 17-year tenure with the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra. He also served as choir director of First Presbyterian Church for 20 years.
| Grier Williams | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 18, 1931 Tampa, Florida |
| Died | April 19, 2004 HCA Florida West Hospital, Pensacola, Florida |
| Occupation | Music director |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
| Spouse | Louise Harvin Williams |
| Parents | Jonathan Beatty Williams Mary Agnes Moffatt |
| Children | Stephen Harvin Williams Grier Moffatt Williams, Jr. |
Early Life, Family, and Education
Williams was born on June 18, 1931 in Tampa, Florida to Jonathan Beatty Williams (1903-1978) and Mary Agnes Moffatt Williams (1904-1988). His father was a Biology teacher at H.B. Plant High School in Tampa, before he opened a surgical supply store in Jacksonville, where Grier partially grew up. Grier spent his formative years in Palma Ceia, before briefly living in Miami. Grier then moved to Jacksonville, where he attended Robert E. Lee High School. Grier was a member of the band at Lee High, playing the trumpet. Williams's maternal grandfather, James S. Moffatt (1860-1922), was the president of Erskine College in South Carolina from 1907 until 1921. Williams's great-grandfather, W.M. Grier (1843-1899), served as President, as well as his great-great grandfather, R.C. Grier (1817-1871), and grand-uncle, R.E. Grier (1881-1974). Two of Grier's maternal uncles, Dr. James S. Moffatt Jr. and Dr. L. Gaston Moffatt were College Professors, with the latter teaching internationally in Spain. A paternal great-great grandfather of Williams, Dr. Archibald Barron, was a signer of the 1860 South Carolina Ordinance of Seccession, an important document that was influential in the beginning of the Civil War.
Grier went to high school in Williams attended Davidson College, where he met his wife, Louise Harvin. A lifelong musician, his instrument of choice was the trumpet.
Williams founded the Music Department of the nascent University of West Florida in 1967 and helped it earn national accreditation.
In 1979, he was asked to serve as interim music director and conductor of the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra. Under his leadership, the PSO broadened its repertoire, increased ticket sales, and moved its performance venue from the Pensacola High School auditorium to the newly-renovated Saenger Theatre in 1982.
In 1990, Williams invited schoolteacher Susan Pote to assemble a group of children to accompany the orchestra for choral pieces. The group was immensely successful and grew into the standalone Pensacola Children's Chorus.
Williams retired from the PSO in 1996. He was succeeded by Peter Rubardt, who praised Williams for setting the orchestra "on a path to professionalism."
He passed away on April 19, 2004 while recovering from a heart attack.
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References
- "Musical guiding light Grier Williams dies." Pensacola News Journal, April 20, 2004.
- "Loved ones celebrate life of renowned musician." Pensacola News Journal, April 23, 2004.