James Harold “Hambone” Williams, Jr., 67, of Gainesville, Georgia, was born on December 4, 1958 to the late James H. “Cowboy” Williams, Sr. and the late Onita Harrison. He peacefully transitioned into eternal rest on December 20, 2025 at his home. He was preceded in death by his sister Brenda Mance and a host of aunts and uncles.
Harold graduated from Gainesville High School in 1976 where he played football and enjoyed other social and athletic activities. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army where he would travel and see the world to places such as Panama, Germany, and Hawaii.
Harold’s life journey was engulfed in the Arts, as he loved to listen to music, write poetry, and paint. His home was completely decorated with his expressive paintings. Furthermore, he was also an avid chess player, who was passionate and dedicated to the game, playing frequently, studying strategy and tactics, while also having an amazing collection of chessboards made of marble, glass, and other types of stones.
He was a beloved father, grandfather, uncle, brother, and cousin. He was always a jokester, making people laugh even through the toughest of times. He was fully committed and engrossed in learning about his family tree, as he adored his family, so much so that Ancestry websites preoccupied and consumed a lot of his time. He was definitely fixated on his family tree because his family meant the world to him and he was extremely inquisitive about the subject of ancestry.
James “Hambone” Williams, Jr. is survived by his children, Kelly Williams, Cameron Williams, and Camille Rubin; brother, Eugene (Lena) Whelchel; sister, Grace (Hilary) Hayes; uncle and confidant, Anthony “Peanut” Harrison; aunts, Deborah Gordon, Vickie Sutton, and Bobbie Harrison; grandchildren, Darious, Camden, Layla, Dezmond, Kyland, and Kason; a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins, and other relatives and friends whose lives he deeply touched.
Memorial service will be held Wednesday December 31, 2025 at 1pm at Dexter T. Sims Mortuary, LLC in The Rev. Charlie, Jr. and Conchita Sims Memorial Chapel.