G. Wesley Williams, known to some as ‘Mr. Raleigh,’ has died
G. Wesley Williams, a longtime fixture in downtown Raleigh who helped lead the city’s Christmas parade and worked with numerous civic groups, died Wednesday. He was 98.
Williams helped found the Raleigh Merchants Bureau, which later became the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association, and served as its director for 50 years. He oversaw dozens of Christmas parades, contributed to numerous Raleigh projects and causes and helped shape the city’s growth through many formidable years.
The Raleigh Civic Center, Fayetteville Street Mall, Radisson Plaza Hotel and Center Plaza buildings were some of the projects he contributed to, according to his 2008 induction into Raleigh’s Hall of Fame.
“The Greater Raleigh Merchants Association often reflects fondly on Mr. Williams and the work that he did for not only the organization and the Christmas parade but for this community,” said Jennifer Martin, executive director of the merchants association. “Our thoughts go out to his family during this time. His legacy will long be remembered throughout this community and our association.”
He was instrumental in helping desegregate Raleigh’s restaurants with the help of former Raleigh City Council member and N.C. Sen. John Winters. The two called on then-Gov. Terry Sanford to encourage S&W Cafeteria to integrate. It had a domino effect as other restaurants soon followed, said Williams’ son, John Williams.
“It’s what men of his generation did,” said Margie Phillips, Wesley Williams’ oldest child. “He’s one of the last great generation. You go to war in World War II and you’re defending your country and nation and then you come back and your job, your mission, is to help build the country. And dad was a very, very, very strong Christian man. He was very much a Christian and he believed that a Christian had an obligation to society and mankind.”
He was a member of the Raleigh Civitan Club for nearly 75 years, serving in nearly every leadership position. Through his work there, he helped found the Hilltop Home for children with developmental and medical disabilities, adding a cottage for vulnerable children at the Boys and Girls Club at Lake Waccamaw. He also started the Raleigh Boys’ Club.
In addition to his civic and business work, Wesley Williams was involved in social organizations for the “fun and fellowship,” his son said. The elder Williams helped found the Raleigh Good Ole Boys’ Club, where influential men gather annually to speak for two minutes on any topic of their choosing. Williams was the timekeeper and people knew they couldn’t go over, John Williams said.
Wesley Williams was also an active member of the Old Raleigh Boys’ Club and the Wake County Chitlin’ Club, according to his obituary.
“I love Raleigh, I’m crazy about it,” Wesley Williams said last year in an interview with Walter Magazine. “I’ve never been officially given the title, but many people refer to me as ‘Mr. Raleigh.’”
Funeral arrangements are set for at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, at Hayes Barton Baptist Church. The family will receive friends following the service in the church fellowship hall after the funeral.
This story was originally published March 7, 2019 at 5:57 PM.
