ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - Friends, family, and community members are remembering the life of Taylar Williams, an educator whose husband and colleagues say left a lasting impact on those around her.

George Williams, Taylar’s husband, said the loss has been felt across the community.

“This is a tragedy. This is devastation, not just for me, but for the whole— just community,” George Williams said.

George Williams said his relationship with Taylar began on the campus of Albany State University.

“I knew she was the one from the time that I first met her. I knew she was the one,” he said.

He described her in a single word.

“If I had to use one word to describe Taylar, it would just be perfect. Loving mother, loving wife, loving teacher,” George Williams said.

The couple had four children together. George Williams said Taylar’s devotion to her family was central to who she was.

“Children, that was her everything. She was so — we were so excited. And then after one came two and after two came three and after three came four,” he said. “If you can ask anybody who knew Taylar, she’d have had 17.”

Taylar Williams began her education career in the Dougherty County School System as a special needs teacher at Live Oak Elementary. She went on to become the Lead Exceptional Student Program Teacher and was named Live Oak’s 2023–2024 Teacher of the Year. She later became Dougherty County Schools’ first Human Resources Recruitment Coordinator before joining the Lee County School System as an assistant principal.

Dr. Shanekia Williams, Taylar’s former principal at Live Oak Elementary, said her reach extended well beyond the classroom.

“Taylar planted seeds, not just at Live Oak, not just in Lee County, not just at Albany State, but around the world,” Dr. Shanekia Williams said.

Dr. Shanekia Williams said Taylar worked to bring new educators into the profession.

“Taylar was able to touch lives outside of Dougherty County and encourage people that did not have their certification to become certified and give them avenues and programs that they could go through to become teachers,” she said. “Even in her first year as assistant principal in Lee County, the people loved her just as much as we do here in the Dougherty County School System.

George Williams said seeing the community rally around his family has provided some comfort during the grieving process.

“Just knowing how that one person can bring so many people together in just a sense of love — it doesn’t help with grieving, it doesn’t change the situation, but I think it does make it a little bit better,” he said.

He closed with a message directed at the broader community.

“My message to everybody is to love. It’s to love hard, it’s to love long, it’s to love strong, and it’s to love intentional. Because we don’t know. We think we have an idea of time, but we don’t,” George Williams said. “So, love on your spouse, your kids, your family, as strong and as intentional as you can.”

A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, March 7, at 2 p.m., with a viewing scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday’s services will be held at Sherwood Baptist Church, located at 2201 Whispering Pines Road.

An additional viewing will be held Friday, March 6, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Meadows Funeral Home of Albany, Inc., according to George Williams.

The funeral home is located at 315 South Madison Street in Albany.

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