Marianne "Faye" Williams Kramer passed away at home in Rutherfordton, NC on the evening of Saturday, January 18, 2025, due to ongoing complications of COVID-19 and Diabetes. She is preceded in death by her mother Dorothy Ann Williams and father Shadrack Chalmers Williams of Hopewell Township, Pa. She leaves behind her husband James, with whom she celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary weeks before her passing; their daughter Jamie Lynn; sister Susan Swiatek and husband Edward of Center Twp; sister-in-law Claudia Horvatin and husband William of Cranberry Twp; aunt Carol Musgrave of Moon Twp; aunt Becky Wallach of Leetsdale, Pa.; and her niece, nephews, and cousins.

Born in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, August 31, 1951, Marianne earned the nickname "Faye" in high school from imitating her high school English teacher's recitation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar—a strange yet oddly standard way to be nicknamed by your peers. When Jim met her in Pittsburgh in 1972 at the Craig Street Inn, he thought her name was Faye, and that's what he called her for the next 52 years. Married at the courthouse on New Year's Eve, Jim and Marianne had a marriage that still made them laugh with each other every day. Their dark, dry humor helped them to journey through the good and the bad times of a life spent together, in sickness and health. Marianne was a fighter throughout her illnesses over the four years preceding her death, but that was nothing new: she was always strong-willed and passionate about her loved ones and her personal interests, and she had an inspiring career as a woman starting in STEM in the 1970s.

Marianne worked multiple jobs during college, including the triage at Allegheny General Hospital. She attended Thiel College, then the University of Pittsburgh for her B.S. in Chemistry, and she worked in Pitt's medical research labs for cancer before transitioning into medical diagnostic equipment control sales for Baxter and subsidiaries for over 30 years. She specialized in sales representative training and traveled all over the country for training seminars and conferences related to her field. After the 2008 Recession, she continued her sales and training career with Xerox before retiring in 2015. Marianne and Jim spent a wonderful ten years of traveling between Florida, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, and enjoying their retirement while making friends with their neighbors in Rutherfordton. Marianne loved the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the drive home from downtown, and it was a place of peace and comfort for her.

A lifelong lover of reading, art, history, travel, theater, crafting, and cooking, Marianne was living her best life when she was decorating for Christmas or Halloween with her family, traveling, shopping, or entertaining friends and loved ones in her home. She was a fantastic hostess who threw lovely dinner parties over the years, and the highlights of her life were always time spent with friends and family, especially her daughter. They loved going out to eat and shopping together. Her family had many trips to Disney World while living in Florida, making some of the best memories of their lives, and it holds a special place in their hearts. Also a lifelong learner, Marianne loved historical tourism, PBS documentaries, and watching Jeopardy. She made it a goal to read every book by the Bröntes when she retired, and she did. Her daughter will miss proofreading her academic papers with Marianne—she was always a great audience. We part from Marianne with a quote from one of her favorite books that embodies her loving, spirited, and witty personality throughout life:

"I am not an angel," I asserted; "and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself."

-Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brönte

The family will receive friends from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, Saturday, January 25, 2025 at McMahan's Funeral Home. In honor of Faye, memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association. McMahan's Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of arrangements.