A decades-long legacy of selfless service across the military, healthcare, and community advocacy will be formally honored this fall, as Mrs. Vernice “Debbie” Williams, widow of Sandy Point Benevolent Society (SPBS) founder Dr. Stewart O. Williams, is set to receive the 2026 Distinguished Service and Legacy Award at the annual Dr. Stewart O. Williams Awards Gala in the Bronx, New York.
Williams, a 70-year-old Bronx native, closed out a more than 30-year career of public service when she retired in March 2026, leaving behind a trail of transformed lives shaped by her discipline, empathy, and consistent commitment to lifting up others. Her path of service began in uniform: Williams spent six years serving honorably in the United States Army, where she rose to the rank of Sergeant. That tour of duty instilled in her the core leadership skills, resilience, and sense of civic duty that would define every phase of her later career.
After concluding her military service, Williams turned her focus to caring for communities through nursing. She earned first an Associate of Science in Nursing from Montgomery County Community College, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Immaculata University, launching a clinical career that spanned 26 years at Abington Hospital (now part of Jefferson Health). During her tenure there, she worked across high-need specialties including Medical-Surgical Nursing, Telemetry, and Stroke Care, earning a reputation among patients and colleagues alike for her calm demeanor, compassionate care, and unwavering professionalism. She also took on the critical role of clinical preceptor, mentoring hundreds of newly licensed nurses as they transitioned into their first roles in patient care.
Later in her career, Williams joined Aetna/CVS Health as a Nurse Case Manager, where she specialized in supporting patients navigating complex, fragmented U.S. healthcare systems. She coordinated cross-continuum care for vulnerable patients and connected countless families with life-sustaining social and medical resources, extending her commitment to patient advocacy beyond the hospital walls.
Beyond her professional career, Williams was a foundational leader of SPBS, the nonprofit organization her husband founded and led for decades. Working side-by-side with Dr. Williams for more than 40 years of marriage, the pair built their family on a shared foundation of faith, perseverance, love, and service. Williams helped advance SPBS’s core mission of expanding educational access for underserved youth and empowering the next generation of community leaders. She is also a proud mother of three daughters and grandmother of two grandchildren, and in retirement, she prioritizes spending time with family, building new memories with her grandchildren, traveling, and enjoying the fruits of a life spent in service.
The 2026 Dr. Stewart O. Williams Awards Gala will take place at Maestros Catering Hall, located at 1703 Bronxdale Ave in the Bronx, and carries the fitting theme “Rooted in Service, Grounded in Giving Back.” Early-bird tickets are available for $140 through August 25, 2026, and can be purchased from SPBS members or online via the organization’s Givebutter page at www.givebutter.com/spbsinc.