Jon Williams Memorial Fund

In memory of Jon Williams (Liberty High School Class of 1990), Jon’s family and friends established a memorial fund to support scholarships and mental health related programs in partnership with the Foundation for the Bethlehem Area School District. The memorial fund will support students’ academic success with funds beyond the district’s general operating budget.

During Jon’s high school years at Liberty, he was at the top of his class academically, active on the tennis team, involved as class treasurer, and respected by his teachers and classmates. After graduating from Liberty High School in 1990, Jon earned his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Duke University and continued his education at the UNC School of Medicine where he later returned for his combined residency program in Internal Medicine & Pediatrics. Dr. Williams made a tremendous impact on his community through his career as a UNC physician in Chapel Hill, NC. In his 20-year career, he enjoyed caring for patients, connecting with colleagues, and mentoring medical residents.

Jon’s struggle with depression led him to take his own life in September 2020. Over the years, Jon sought help for his depression and was beyond grateful for the support of his family, friends, colleagues, and doctors. “His suicide was not a rational, intentional act, but a complication and fatal outcome of a very complex and difficult disease” (Halper, 2019). The enemy was mental illness, not Jon. Jon’s family feels deeply connected to the perspective of Dr. Jill Halper in this NY Times article. They hope you will read the article for a better understanding of depression as a disease.

Jon lived in North Carolina with his wife and daughters, yet remained connected to the Bethlehem community over the years, as he visited family and friends in the Lehigh Valley frequently.