MCCULLOUGH A. WILLIAMS JR., 76 Funeral home creator and civic leader dies

Williams was hailed as a role model and longtime community activist.
YOUNGSTOWN -- McCullough A. Williams Jr., founder of Sterling-McCullough Williams Funeral Home and a former 3rd Ward councilman and president of the Youngstown Board of Education, died at 7:14 a.m. today in St. Elizabeth Health Center.
Williams, 76, of Fifth Avenue, had been ill for some time with a heart ailment.
Active in community, political and business affairs, he was presented the distinguished citizen award by Youngstown State University's Alumni Society in 2002.
Williams was a member of the YSU Penguin Club board, and YSU has a McCullough Williams Scholarship, given annually to an education major through the YSU Foundation.
"The entire university is saddened by the loss of this great community leader," said Dr. David Sweet, YSU president. "We were honored to have McCullough Williams as a close friend. Our condolences to his loving family."
In 1990, he was selected as Black Businessman of the Year by the Ohio Black Exposition.
A first
The first black Democrat elected to city council's 3rd Ward in 1957, Williams was instrumental in the appointment of Jesse Carter as the first black Youngstown firefighter. As a school board member, he was involved in the appointment of Dr. Robert L. Pegues Jr., the school district's first black superintendent.
W. Ronald Miller, executive director of Youngstown Area Urban League, said: "It is a major loss to the entire community, and a particular loss to the African-American community. Mr. Williams was one of the giants of our community in terms of business, development, political and social activism, and being on the cutting edge of moving the African-American community forward."
Herman Starks, known as Pete, a former Youngstown 2nd Ward councilman who has known Williams for years, said: "Mac was a role model. He got involved with most of the things that transpired in this city. This town will miss him."
Jackie Taylor, president of the Youngstown Board of Education, said: "The passing of Mr. Williams is time to commemorate the contributions of a man who nobly served the public. We are thankful and grateful for his passion, his wisdom and his commitment to the Youngstown School District. We will never forget him."
His background
A lifelong Youngstown resident, Williams attended Delason Elementary School and Princeton Junior High School and graduated from South High School, where he was quarterback on the 1944 city championship football team.
He attended Ohio State University for two years and graduated from the Cleveland College of Mortuary Science.
Williams was elected 3rd Ward councilman in 1957 and re-elected in 1959. He resigned his council post to take the new city post of housing coordinator in 1961.
He had also served on the city park and recreation commission, and in 1958, he received the Chase-Lynch Award for outstanding effort in the field of human relations.
School board
Williams was defeated as a write-in candidate for the city school board in 1959, but he was later named to fill the unexpired term of Abe Harshman, who had resigned. Williams was elected to the board in 1971 and chosen as its vice president. He was elected president of the board in 1972 and served in the office for several terms.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor in 1975, losing to Jack C. Hunter.
In 1963, Williams headed the Men's Youth League to curb juvenile delinquency.
He retired in 2000 after 49 years in business, and he was honored by the Ohio Funeral Directors Association. He was a longtime member of the Roberts Deliberating Club.
His survivors
He leaves his wife, the former Juanita Fleming, to whom he was married for more than 50 years; three children, McCullough III of Columbus and twins Sterling Williams of Howland and Crystal Williams Costa of Akron; and six grandchildren.
Sterling is president and chief executive officer of Sterling-McCullough Williams Funeral Homes in Youngstown and Warren, and Crystal is chief financial officer of the business, which their father started in 1951.