John Randolph Williams Jr., a bon vivant known for his prowess as a cook, competitive tennis player, and builder of homes, as well as for his community involvement, efforts toward architectural preservation, and great sense of humor, died at home in Chestnut Hill on April 9 after a period of declining health. He was born Feb. 24, 1943 in Charleston, West Virginia, to parents John Randolph Williams Sr. and Frances Williams.
Known affectionately as “Grandy” after he became a grandfather, he graduated from Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, and then the University of the South, where he spent a formative year in Aix-en-Provence absorbing a lifelong interest in French culture, food and wine. He enlisted in the Coast Guard, serving as an officer with the rank of Lieutenant JG and later earned his MBA at George Washington University.
Moving to Philadelphia in 1971, Williams took a job with Philco Ford and a short while later embarked on a career in carpentry. He was one of the first to convert old warehouses in Old City Philadelphia into lofts in the early 1970s. In the mid-1980s, he became a successful options trader on the Philadelphia Stock Exchange.
According to his son, John, much of his father’s life “was dedicated to preservation of historic architecture in the city of Philadelphia. He began by renovating a home on Elfreth’s Alley in Old City (the nation’s oldest continuously inhabited residential street, from 1703), where both of us children were born. In addition, he served as president of the Wyck Historic House and Garden in Germantown and later as president of the Chestnut Hill Conservancy.”
Lori Salganicoff, former executive director of the Chestnut Hill Conservancy (formerly the Chestnut Hill Historical Society), said, “Williams was president of the board of the Conservancy when he hired me in 2014 to be its executive director. Throughout our years working together, he cheerfully shaped a collaborative partnership based on trust and respect that was essential to the organization’s subsequent growth (and my sanity) … He was as dedicated and generous as he was tenacious and inspiring, and he did it all with a smile.”
Williams’ wife, Nancy, said, “We met each other at a party in New York when we were both on blind dates with other people. Later we had that double house on Elfreth’s Alley from 1972 to 1984. Tourists were constantly looking in the window. Then we had the house built in Chestnut Hill. Randy built three houses and renovated several lofts in Old City. He was ahead of his time doing that.”
His daughter, Sara, said, “He built another more traditional house on Martha’s Vineyard overlooking Lake Tashmoo in Vineyard Haven, where he spent many hours on the deck admiring the handiwork of his gardens and the sunsets on the water.”
At each of his residences, Williams built beautiful gardens and landscapes and made improvements. He was a competitive tennis player for many decades. He and Nancy traveled the world and enjoyed garden tours with friends and made sure never to miss a meal in a foreign country.
According to F. Cecil Baker, an architect and friend of Williams, “In his own subtle way, Randy leaves an enviable legacy, from pairing two abandoned shells on Elfreth’s Alley and converting them into a beautiful home for his family, an act of brazen courage in what was then a struggling Old City, to his final home ... an amazing contemporary oasis unlike any other in Chestnut Hill. His impact was significant, but typical of Randy, it was all carried out with minimum fanfare. Philadelphia is a much better place today thanks to dear friend Randy Williams.”
Williams served on numerous neighborhood civic committees, including the Philadelphia Historic Preservation Corporation. As a longtime Chestnut Hill resident, he was a board member at the Philadelphia Cricket Club and on the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church vestry. He was also a member of the Chestnut Hill Rotary, where he liked to clean up gardening projects around the Hill, and find speakers for the group’s meetings. Additionally, he volunteered to read with first-grade students at Jenks and handed out free dictionaries to each graduating class at the end of school year.
Williams’ family said he loved to entertain and cook meals for guests, planning early in the day for a memorable dinner, always playing classical music in the background.
“So many people liked him,” said Nancy, “because he was real and modest about his achievements. And such a great sense of humor. He would laugh so hard that his shoulders would shake. We had similar values, and we had a great 56-year run.”
Jeff Groff, who was the executive director of Wyck Historic House and Garden, a national historic landmark property in Germantown, for 16 years, told the Local, “One of the best parts of my role at Wyck was working with Randy, especially when he was board chair. He was such a thoughtful and effective leader … When Wyck added an education center and new restrooms — the buildings won several awards —Randy was indispensable, volunteering as a project manager and meeting with architects, contractors and always available to guide the project along.”
Williams is survived by wife Nancy; brothers David and Daniel; son John (m. Michelle Miller), daughter Sara Tucker (m. Matthew Tucker); and grandchildren Louise and Alexander Tucker and Maxwell Williams.
A memorial service will be held on Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 11 A.M. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 22 E. Chestnut Hill Avenue in Chestnut Hill. In lieu of flowers, a donation in his name to the Chestnut Hill Conservancy would be appreciated.
Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.
