Arlane Williams

A funeral service celebrating the life of Arlane Williams, age 78, of Newark, will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 26, at the First United Methodist Church, 88 North Fifth Street in Newark with Pastor Barbara Wood Salyers officiating. Burial will take place in Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Friends may call from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, March 25, at Criss Wagner Hoskinson Funeral Home, 179 Granville Street in Newark.

Arlane was born January 2, 1944 in Newark, Ohio to Oscar C. and Geneva A. (Barnette) Williams. She passed away on Monday, March 21, 2022 at her home.

Arlane graduated from Newark High School (class of 1962) and spent her professional career at Licking Memorial Hospital, Kaiser, Rockwell, and Park National Bank before landing at State Farm Insurance, from which she retired after a 30+ year career. Family, music, Star Trek, the opera and the theatre were her passions.

Arlane was known in the Newark community for her beautiful soprano voice and her signature songs were “O Holy Night” and “America, The Dream Goes On”. She attended and sang at the First United Methodist Church in Newark and also sang at First Presbyterian Church, St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church, the Land of Legend Festivals, and the 20 ^th Century Flyer. She was a member of the singing group “The Premiums” at State Farm and a fan of the Heisey Wind Ensemble and the Newark-Granville Symphony Orchestra. Notably, Arlane sang at the funeral of Senator John Ashbrook and at the inauguration of former Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery. She acted and performed at several theatres including the Licking County Players, Granville Players, and Weathervane Playhouse. She played the lead in such performances as “West Side Story” (Maria), “Kiss Me Kate” (Kate), “Cats” (Grizabella), “Nunsense” (Mother Superior), “Folk of the Air” (Sia), and “On the Twentieth Century” (Lily Garland) to name a few. But it was ‘Twin, ‘Sister’, ‘Daughter’, ‘Aunt’, ‘Friend’ and the ‘Mum’ in ‘Mom & Mum’ that were her most cherished roles.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved identical twin sister and “wombmate”, Charmane Williams Fuller; and by her Godparents, Dr. Andrew S. and Arizona Burton. Dr. Burton, the first black doctor in Licking County, delivered and named the twins.

She is survived by her twin’s daughter/her Godchild, Charlotte Arlane Fuller, who she helped raise from childhood; her dear sisters, Carolyn Flournoy of Delaware, Vivian D. Moorman of Columbus, and Marian Spivey of Newark; nieces and nephews, Cindy Hunt, George Flournoy, Jr., Sean Flournoy, Michael Flournoy, Paul Moorman. Jr., Aaron Moorman, Heather Spivey, and Willie Spivey, Jr.; and many great-nieces and great-nephews.

Her family will greatly miss their songbird who is now in the presence of the Lord.

Special thanks to Kim Dershem, Annie Hunt, Barbara Hall, the late Lt. Col. Clark W. Fuller (who she called “brother”), Hospice of Central Ohio, and First United Methodist Church.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First United Methodist Church, Dawes Arboretum, or the Foundation for Hospice of Central Ohio.

Criss Wagner Hoskinson Funeral Home is honored to care for Arlane and her family.