Lillian Williams

Lillian Landers Derickson Williams, known to her family and friends as Landy, died June 1, 2016 at her home in Stanton, Kentucky after a courageous fight against primary peritoneal cancer.  Landy is survived by her beloved husband, James D. Williams.  She was born January 31, 1943 to the late Alice Vandetta and Herbert T. Derickson, Jr. of Stanton, Kentucky.  After graduating from Powell County High School in 1960, she attended the University of Wisconsin for two years then returned home after the death of her father.  She worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a clerk and met her husband Jim, who was home from the Marines.  They married in 1963 and both graduated from Morehead State University.  Landy was prepared to be a teacher and did teach in the Russell High School in Greenup County, Kentucky.  She soon realized, however, she had other areas of interest.  After her husband was transferred to London, Kentucky, Landy took a job as a legal secretary for Brown, Toomes and Helton doing mostly paralegal type work.  There she found she had a strong interest in law and graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1970, being one of two women in her class.  As Jim, who was with Ashland Oil, had been transferred back to the home office in Ashland, Kentucky, Landy went to work in Ashland for a law firm that eventually led to the partnership of Creech, Hogg and Williams.  At that time, Landy was the only practicing female attorney in Boyd and several surrounding counties.  After six years with a plaintiff oriented law firm, she found she had a keen interest in corporate law and went to work for Ashland Oil as a litigation attorney in the Ashland Law Department.  She was the first female in Kentucky to achieve an executive position with Ashland Oil.  Landy and Jim were both transferred in 1980 to Lexington, Kentucky where she became the head of the Law Department for Valvoline Oil, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ashland Oil, Inc.  During her tenure with Valvoline she was responsible for all legal facets of Valvoline, but enjoyed the most her work on mergers, acquisitions and disposition of various companies throughout the world.  She retired in 1997 as Vice President and General Counsel for Valvoline Inc., Vice President and Director of Valvoline International, Inc. and Assistant Secretary for Ashland Inc.  She was appointed as Master Commissioner for the Powell Circuit Court in 1990 and continued to serve in that capacity through 2014.  Wherever Landy lived, she tried to give back to society and her community because she felt so blessed.  While in Ashland, she was a member and president of the Ashland Pilot Club, a business and professional women's club, a member of the Ashland Junior Woman's Club and she served as a director and president of the Hack Estep Home for Boys.  In Lexington, she was a director and secretary of the Florence Crittenton Home for Unwed Girls, she was a member of the Professional Women's Forum and for many years served as a director of the Mediation Center of Kentucky.  After retiring back to Powell County, she served as a director of Hospice East, member and director of the Renaissance Committee for Stanton, member of the Powell County P.R.I.D.E. committee, served on the committee to establish a Y.M.C.A. in Powell County, always assisted the Powell County Lions Club during its County Fair and was chair of the Powell County High Alumni Association which raised money for scholarships.  Having an acute sense of the necessity of an education, Landy gave of her time and support to higher education by becoming a UK Fellow and Lafferty Society member, served on the Development Board of Midway College and assisted in the establishment of Midway's paralegal studies program, she served for many years on the Board of Paralegal Studies at Eastern Kentucky University when it started courses in paralegal studies.  After retirement, Landy served as director of Morehead State University Mount Sterling Campus, but devoted most of her efforts to her home church, Shiloh United Methodist Church, where she was a lifelong member serving in various capacities:  teacher, chair of the Administrative Counsel for many years, chair of the Trustees and Lay Leader.  She was appointed to the Kentucky Methodist Conference Trustees where she served as trustee, vice chair and chair and also as vice president of the Kentucky Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.  Landy was preceded in death by her parents, Senators Alice Vandetta and Herbert Thomas Derickson, her two sisters and brothers-in-law, Lurlene (Glyn) Skidmore and Nancye (James) Stidham.  She is survived by her husband, James D. Williams, her son, Mason David (Jennifer) Williams and two grandchildren, Brian Taylor Moore and Madison Delaney Williams, her brother, H. T. (Wilda) Derickson III, her brother, Henry Shelby (Bonnie) Derickson and numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and great, great nieces and nephews.  Landy enjoyed many things:  horseback riding, 4-wheeling, traveling throughout the world, learning about the people and culture of Mexico by living there with her husband in the winter months, entertaining in her home, reading her spy and detective novels and most of all her Bible Study Group.  After her retirement, she particularly enjoyed being involved in the family farm, Wil-Der-Wil Farm, camping and traveling with her husband and grandchildren.  Landy had a great love for her family, her friends and her country. Visitation will be at Hearne Funeral Home, Stanton, Kentucky on Saturday, June 4, 2016 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  Because of the size of Landy's family, the funeral service will be a private service for her family and church family at Shiloh United Methodist Church in Stanton, Kentucky on Sunday June 5, 2016 at 4:00 P.M. with visitation at 2:00 P.M. until time of service.  A celebration of Landy's life will be held following the funeral service for all of her friends and family at the Williams' home, 328 Landy Drive, Stanton, Kentucky.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Shiloh United Methodist Church Scholarship Fund, 2652 Campton Road, Stanton, KY 40380 or Hospice East, 164 Court Street, Stanton, KY 40380 or American Cancer Society-Lexington, 1500 College Way, Lexington, KY 40502.  Arrangements by Hearne Funeral Home, Inc.  www.hearnefuneralhome.com