Marquise "Coach" Williams

Marquise Williams, Sr. was born on September 5, 1951, in Kansas City, MO. Preceding him in death are his son, Marquise Williams, Jr.; mother, Minnie B. Nugent; father, Warren L. Williams; maternal grandmother, Thelma Nugent; stepmother, Christine Williams; sisters, Lynn Charles, and Tina Williams; aunts, Goldie Wright, and Maxine Taylor; uncle, Sylvester L. Mack; and a nephew, Marquise E. Williams.

Marquise accepted Christ at an early age. He graduated from Southeast High School. Marquise operated his own plumbing business called, Try Me Plumbing. Marquise left an indelible mark in the lives of countless people in the Kansas City area by serving as a basketball and football coach with South Suburban, the Kansas City Keys, and KC Premier.

In 1993, he started the Kansas City Runnin Rebels. Coaching was his passion and as a result he was a mentor to his family and the community. His passion for coaching was quickly accepted by the community and he always made sure that he was sharing his passion for basketball with the youth on and off the court. He was such an inspiration to his family and his basketball community. When off the court Marquise enjoyed playing dominos, cards, and listening to music at “Club Underground.”

Left to cherish memories of Marquise are his wife, Joyce Williams; son, Larry C. Washington, Jr. (Susan); daughter, Jasmine M. Williams (Dawontay); granddaughter, A’Mya (Mimi) Hammons; mother-in-law, Ora Jean Powell-Baskin; siblings, Marie A. Blanks; niece, Alex Jordan Blanks, Barbara Henderson, Mable Gray-Williams, Tiffany Baynham-Williams; stepmother, Shirley Williams; Tyrone Keith, Rodney Williams, and Curtis Williams; godchildren, Jaela, Jalea, and Makale; special godson, Master Stedman Marquise Bradley; best friend, Kenneth Patterson; and a host of nephews, nieces, family, and friends.