Mary Church Williams

Mary Church Williams passed suddenly on Sunday, July 8th at Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara. The cause was pneumonia following a nine month battle with breast cancer.

Mary was the daughter of Reynold Erskine Church and Mary Elting Church of Bronxville and New Paltz, New York and the sister of Rennie Church, who predeceased her.

Mary obtained a Master’s Degree in English Literature from Duke University from which she graduated class of ’59. Following college she pursued a career in print and TV journalism specializing in interior design in New York, London, and Los Angeles. She was Editor of Home Decorating magazine, Editor of the Home Magazine section of the Sunday Los Angeles Times and a writer for the New West Magazine.

Mary was married to fellow Duke graduate Henry (Hank) Rouse who died in 1964. In 1989, she married C.K. Williams a prominent general contractor from Houston. They retired to Santa Fe, New Mexico where C.K. became an accomplished artist. In 1992, they moved to Montecito and lived in Birnam Wood. C.K. Williams died in 2011.

Mary is survived by her step children with C.K. and will also be missed by her many friends and abroad.