Wendy Williams

When I was first coming into organized philately some 40 years ago there was a charming older woman named Wendy Williams. Wendy was about sixty then, worked in one the records offices in Philadelphia, had been married, was now divorced and had no children. Whatever club meeting you went to in the Philadelphia area in those days you were sure to see Wendy. On Mondays, she was at the Frankfurt club, on Tuesdays in Springfield and on and on. An avid stamp collector could have coffee with Wendy pretty much every day of the week. And she was not an idle hanger on. I believe at her hay day in 1975, she was, at the same time, Secretary Treasurer of three clubs and Vice President of two more. She ran the hospitality committees of almost all of the clubs she belonged to, was membership chair of several others and was auctioneer at several more. Once when the plumbing got stuffed up at one club… but I exaggerate. Everyone loved Wendy. She was stamp mom to us younger collectors and stamp wife to her contemporaries, always friendly, caring and kind. After knowing her for many years she got sick, it was quick, and she passed away. Her funeral was a philatelic event and as I stood watching her casket pass I turned to probably her best stamp friend and said “Funny,  I knew Wendy for many years but I don’ t think she ever told me what she collected.” “Oh Wendy never collected stamps” was the answer “She collected friends”.