Winston Vernon Williams' Obituary
Winston Williams Obituary
Winston Vernon Williams passed away peacefully at his home in Miami on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Steve and Myra Williams; his son-in-law, Jacob Rousseau; his grandchildren, Nicholas Rousseau, Lauren Rousseau, and Ryan Williams; and his sisters Enid Anderson and Shirley Prince.
He was predeceased by his wife, Joyce May Williams (née Wong Shui); his daughter, Michelle Rousseau (née Williams); his parents, Abraham and Cecelia Chun-Ming; and his siblings, Loue Williams, Hyacinth Van Busch, Fred Williams and Enid Anderson.
Born in Saint Mary, Jamaica, Winston’s family owned a general store in Little London. But Winston was a numbers man. He attended university and worked his way up in the hotel industry as an accountant.
This led him to a life of travel with his wife Joyce, and children Steve and Michelle. They moved from Jamaica to the Bahamas, later to New Jersey, and finally Miami. There, he became less known as an accountant, and more known as a mango man.
His garden was legendary. At any given time, Winston tended multiple mango trees — along with banana trees, lychee, breadfruit, avocado, and scotch bonnet peppers — but the mangos were the stars. His were bigger. Sweeter. Smooth, never stringy. And he never kept them to himself. Winston shared generously, knocking on neighbors’ doors, shipping boxes to relatives in Canada. Even when he had a bad season, he’d buy mangos and distribute them, because he knew everyone would be counting on him.
That generosity showed up everywhere. He slipped cash into your hand. Left you with wrinkled letters. Pointed to where everyone should sit at the dinner table. And ensured you left with a box of leftovers. Winston never let you leave empty handed.
He was a funny man. Bursting with energy, making silly faces, sticking his tongue out and cracking jokes in his thick Jamaican vernacular. Winston lived with hearing loss, but that never stopped him. If anything, it made him louder. Sillier. He danced to a beat he couldn’t hear, fully committed to his made-up rhythms.
He laughed often. Drove fast, often in one-sided races. He loved sports — all of them. He planned dinners around big games, and if a restaurant had a TV, he would eventually disappear to find it. He kept in touch through emails that ignored punctuation entirely and sometimes exclusively used capital letters.
“ALL FOR NOW. iTS your Big Day don't let no one spoil it”
“Forget the Spelling TAKE CARE GRAND PA”
He was quick-witted, full of life, and gave everything he had to the people he loved. He lived generously, laughed loudly, and left everyone with stories that will be told for years.
Winston will be buried at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery on Thursday, December 18. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, December 17, at Van Orsdel Funeral Home in Kendall, Florida.
What’s your fondest memory of Winston?
What’s a lesson you learned from Winston?
Share a story where Winston's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Winston you’ll never forget.
How did Winston make you smile?