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Florence Boyrie Williams ’49

Reed College figured prominently in the life of Florence, whose mother (Levandeur Boyrie ’18), father (Edward Boyrie ’17) and aunt (Florence Boyrie ’21) all attended the school, as did three of her five children. It was also at Reed that Florence met David Williams ’48, and the two married after he graduated. She worked while David attended medical school and completed residencies at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and the Veterans Hospital in Portland. In 1949, she completed her bachelor of science at the University of Washington.

In 1959, they moved to Yakima, Washington, where David opened a practice in internal medicine. The couple shared a love of the outdoors and the arts, and inspired in their children a sense of honor and an appreciation for excellence. As the children grew and became more independent, Florence cultivated her skills as a horsewoman and was awarded Washington State’s over-40 Champion Amateur-Owner Hunter for multiple years. The couple also traveled the world, visiting all seven continents, and was committed to supporting their community as longtime supporters of the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, the Capitol Theatre and the Yakima Valley Museum. Florence is survived by her children, Susan ’72, David ’75, Joan, Robert, and Tom.

Appeared in Reed magazine: September 2016

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