Roy Levy Williams, Former Auto Executive Who Worked For 3 Michigan Governors, Dies At 83
GROSSE POINTE WOODS, Mich. (AP) — Roy Levy Williams, a former auto executive who also worked for three Michigan governors, has died at his suburban Detroit home. He was 83.
Williams died Feb. 11 in Grosse Pointe Woods following a brief illness, according to a release from his family.
Williams served as an aide under governors William Milliken and John Engler, both Republicans, and Democrat James Blanchard, his family said.
He later started a management consulting firm and spent nearly two decades with the then-Chrysler Corp. where he oversaw community relations. He also was president and chief executive of the Detroit Urban League and a member of the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners.
“We honor the work that Roy Levy did for so many across the state of Michigan and especially for the people of Detroit… he always kept the betterment of people at the forefront of his thinking and his work,” his family said.
Williams originally worked as a community organizer for the Detroit Urban League, said N. Charles Anderson, current president and chief executive of the Urban League of Detroit and Southeastern Michigan.
Anderson said Williams left the Urban League to become an executive assistant to Milliken. He rejoined the Detroit Urban League in 1978 and became its president before resigning in 1986 to join Chrysler, Anderson said.
In 2000, Michigan’s Senate passed a resolution honoring Williams for his years of service to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said Monday in a statement that as a young businessman and aspiring community leader he closely watched Williams’ career.
“As the CEO of the Detroit Urban League, his dedication to fair employment and civil rights was at the forefront of everything he did,” Evans said. “No matter the opportunity, he was led by his passion for helping others. His life and career should serve as a true reflection of how one can work in business, while maintaining a commitment to improving the quality of life for the underserved.”
Williams graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s in urban planning.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia; son, Malik; and daughter, Lauren Williams.
A viewing will be held from 1-4 p.m. Friday at Swanson Funeral Home on West McNichols in Detroit. Services are scheduled Saturday at St. Timothy and Second Grace United Methodist Church in Detroit.
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