Hetty Williams
Hetty Williams: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Hetty Williams
Hetty Williams Boating
Hetty at the Parthenon
Grass Valley resident Hetty Williams was shot to death with a high-powered nail gun by the man who had pledged to love and protect her. Hetty’s husband of more than 20 years murdered her shortly after she left the relationship.
Hetty had filed for separation and moved out of their home. Friends noticed the joy Hetty radiated in finally standing up for herself, though most never knew the dark secrets she’d kept about her marriage. She met with her estranged husband a few weeks later to work out details when she was murdered in the home they once shared.
Hetty was a dedicated mother of two daughters, found joy in nature, and taught where she applied her desire to help others. Beginning with a career in landscape design, she later worked as a teacher for at-risk students, finding purpose in a career, adapting classroom lessons into tactile learning experiences for a blind student. She was a gentle, loving and dedicated woman who put her whole heart into everything she did.
She was ready to live by her favorite quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” but she never got the chance.
Hetty touched the lives of so many children, teachers, friends, and family in her community – and her loss was devastating. It is in her honor that Women of Worth opened Hetty’s Haven, a transitional home for women escaping domestic violence. Hetty’s Haven is a supportive safe haven for up to 15 women and children.
