Kemi Williams

January 12, 1951 - November 3, 2020

SAN DIEGO — Kemi Williams lived an extraordinary life. A breathtaking determination to defy the odds pulsed through her from the moment she was born in Rockford, Illinois, until passing peacefully in her home of 32 years in Scripps Ranch five months after being diagnosed with bladder cancer. Kemi was born with spina bifida, long before the medical advancements that allow many born with it today to thrive. Her parents were told she may not make it home from the hospital. Almost 70 years later, Kemi passed from a bountiful life surrounded by her loving family after astounding her compassionate care team by outlasting all predictions.

In death, as in life, Kemi did everything on her own terms. Her strength and grace are admired by many dear friends she kept close, some since her joyful childhood spent on Winthrop Lane. She also kept lovingly tight bonds with her two younger sisters and brother as the matriarch of a uniquely

devoted family. After graduating from Rockford College in 1973, Kemi got a Master of Arts in English from the University of Michigan, where she met her husband of 44 years, Jim Euphrat. She instilled her passion for writing in their daughter Katie, born in 1987. After earning a law degree from the University of San Diego in 1984, Kemi spent several years practicing law before moving on to teach, then work at USD Career Services, always finding fulfillment from using her intellect to help others. After retirement, Kemi continued to find deep meaning in giving generously. She volunteered for several causes, most notably at her church and as president of Spina Bifida of San Diego, advocating for awareness of the country’s most common neural tube defect and improvements in the quality of life for the thousands born with it each year. In leaving her remarkable body to UC San Diego for medical research, her legacy of teaching and serving others is everlasting.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks for donations to Spina Bifida of San Diego, PO Box 232272, San Diego, CA 92193. A small memorial will be live-streamed on Facebook from the Community Church of Poway at 4pm on Sunday, November 22.

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