University of Tennessee Athletics
1951 Team Member Dies in Virginia
June 07, 2008 | Football
Oaka Williams, a reserve end and placekicker on one of Tennessee???s most storied championship football teams, died Wednesday at his home in Bluefield, Va. He was 77.
The 1949 graduate of Bluefield High School earned All-State honors before attending West Virginia University and then Tennessee. He hailed from the same hometown and was a teammate of Bob Davis, a three-year starting center for the Vols who went on to a long coaching and administrative career in the UT Athletics Department.
The two Virginians were part of Tennessee???s 1951 consensus national championship team that went undefeated through the regular season and played in the Sugar Bowl.
After his playing days, Williams returned to his hometown and worked for both Reid Belt and Rubber Co., and Wysor Electric. He owned O.H. Williams Electric Co., and Big Oak Swimming Pool and Supply Sales.
He probably was most recognized for his guidance and affection for the youth of the surrounding area. Williams built Harmony Acres swimming pool in 1953 and operated it for 36 years. Since 1994, he was employed by the town of Bluefield maintaining the pool.
As a lay person, his knowledge of mechanics, electrical, swimming pools and building was widely sought by many residents and contractors. Williams was an active and supportive citizen of the Bluefield community and a member of the First Christian Church of Bluefield, W.Va.
Williams is survived by his wife of 56 years, Gail, and children Gary (son) and Tammy of Bluefield, Va., and Valerie (daughter) of Bluefield, Va. He had six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
The family is receiving friends on Sunday from 2-4 p.m., followed by a memorial service at Dudley Memorial Mortuary in Bluefield, Va. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial contributions be sent to the Bluefield, Va., Rescue Squad. Dudley Memorial Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. To leave personal condolences online, visit www.legacy.com.
