Rev. Joseph C. McWilliams, Jr. (’65, ’66)
The following obituary was originally posted by Bliley’s Funeral Home and can be found here.
Rev. J.C. “Jody” McWilliams, Jr. passed peacefully, surrounded by family, on Sunday, March 9, 2025. Jody’s strong Christian faith drove his fierce commitment to serving others and his loving devotion to family and friends.
Born on February 22, 1938, in Jackson, Mississippi, Jody was raised by Stuart and Gabriella Taylor, largely in Gulfport. Attending Mississippi State University, he was awed by Anne Crockett, then a student at the Mississippi State College for Women. They were married in 1962.
After graduation, Jody was commissioned 
as an officer in the U.S. Army. His service remained deeply meaningful to him, shaping his desire to pursue a master’s degree in Divinity and Theology and another in Psychology and Pastoral Counseling from Boston University. Ordained as a minister in the United Methodist Church, he and Anne moved to Virginia so he could train as a chaplain at the Medical College of Virginia. He then led two small congregations around Ruther Glen, Virginia, even while earning a third master’s degree, this one in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University.
From 1971 to 2004, Jody served as the Executive Director of the William Byrd Community House in the Oregon Hill area of Richmond. He worked with both Black and White communities toward racial integration in the 1970s, joined and won the fight against VCU expansion in the 1980s, and led the expansion of WBCH’s service area in the 1990s. Under Jody’s leadership, a member of the WBCH Board said, “William Byrd teaches people how to stand up and ask for what they need so they can deal with neighborhood issues on their own.” As Jody told the Richmond Times-Dispatch, “We are in business to serve the working poor, people who fall through the cracks. We serve people from birth until death, from the womb to the tomb.” The number of people using the agency’s services approached 4,000 individuals annually by the time of his retirement.
In addition to serving those communities, Jody mentored hundreds of social workers, who he taught to “Be open to learn from those you serve.” Such efforts made WBCH a regional model, and Jody garnered recognitions from chairing the United Neighborhood Centers of America Executive Board to VCU’s Alumni Star Award. More importantly, his efforts at WBCH touched many thousands of lives, rippling through generations in immeasurable ways.
After his retirement, Jody served as Minister of Visitation for Trinity United Methodist Church, and he was an active member of the Kiwanis Club and Leadership Metro Richmond. He also found great joy in traveling with Anne – together they visited twenty-two countries on five continents – and in trips to Emerald Isle with his family.
Jody is survived by his wife of sixty-three years, Anne; his son Mark McWilliams (Rachel) and their children Jack (Murphy) and Annie; and his daughter Heather Brand (Abel) and their children Emily, Madison, Cole, Rynn, and William. The family would like to thank the staff at Cedarfield and, particularly, the nurses at St. Mary’s Hospital’s CVSU for their kindness and care.
Jody’s funeral will be held at 11:00 on Saturday, March 15, at Trinity United Methodist Church, followed by a reception. Internment at Westhampton Memorial Park will be private. There will be a visitation from 4:00-6:00 on Friday, March 14, at Bliley’s Funeral Home’s central location. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church.