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Committed Musician and Teacher

Priscilla West Williams MALS 鈥�94

December 12, 2023, in Portland.

Priscilla was born in China to missionary parents in 1933. She acquired both English and Mandarin as her first languages, living under Japanese occupation with her family before being forced to flee to the United States.

After World War II, the family returned to China, only to flee amid the Communist revolution. They settled in Oregon, where Priscilla’s father became a pastor at Medford First Presbyterian Church and Priscilla emerged as a prodigy at the keyboard. She grew to be a tall teen, complaining that the boys wouldn’t dance with her because of her height.

After graduating from Lewis & Clark College, where she was crowned homecoming queen, Priscilla married Dr. Christopher Williams in 1957. The couple honeymooned at a then-new amusement park called Disneyland, moved to Seattle, and settled in Eastmoreland in 1968. Together, they raised three sons.

Continuing her journey as a musician, Priscilla played pipe organ and conducted church choirs. She also taught music in public schools, then switched to teaching piano at home, mentoring students who went on to enjoy lifelong musical careers.

At Reed, Priscilla wrote her thesis, “The Romanesque Portal of St. Pierre, Moissac,” with advising by Prof. William Diebold [art history].

Priscilla loved painting the Oregon Coast, Hood River, and the Rhododendron Garden, though she was just as eager to paint peaches in the kitchen before slicing them. Eternally passionate about art, she volunteered as a docent at the Portland Art Museum.

Christopher died 17 days after Priscilla passed away. The couple, who were married 66 years, are survived by their two children.

Appeared in Reed magazine: Summer 2024