It’s a good thing Halroy “Skip” Williams took early retirement from the U.S. Air Force. It gives him more time to follow his passion – helping out wherever and in whatever way he can.
In recent years, he’s been active with Veterans Affairs and COAST (Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency, St. Thomas-St. John.) He served as ombudsman for the National Guard’s Area Employers Support of the Guard and Reserve, and as secretary for the St. Thomas Historical Trust. More recently he’s become very involved with the Humane Society of St. Thomas and with the Salvation Army.
These days he spends a lot of his time at the Humane Society, where he and another volunteer oversee the electronics section of the Flea Market and where he is available to handle any sort of maintenance/construction odd jobs that may pop up. He tests items that are donated to be sure they work, repairs them if necessary, or carts them off to the dump if they are beyond saving.
At the Salvation Army his interest is less mechanical and more people-oriented. He’s trying to set up a “Celebrate Recovery” program, which he described as “a big support group” for people recovering from addiction or other trauma.
“I try to do things that mean something to me,” Williams said. “I like to plug in where I’m needed, where I can be useful. Beats sitting at home.”
Williams was raised on St. Thomas by mother Toya Andrew and stepfather, the late Art Andrews, a man he called “Pop.”
An accomplished sailor and bridge player, Andrews was an engineer and architect whose list of accomplishments included many of St. Thomas’ major construction projects from the 1960s onward. Williams said Andrews taught him a lot about construction and a good deal about life.
When William was 11, “Pop” took him out in a Sunfish and showed him the basics of sailing.
“Then he jumps off and swims to shore,” leaving the young Williams to, ah, sink or sail. He spent the day sailing.
Williams attended Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School on St. Thomas, graduating in 1973. He majored in communications at Ohio Dominican University, where he served as cadet commander of the university’s ROTC detachment. When he graduated in 1977, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force and rose to the rank of major before taking early retirement in June 1995.
After Hurricane Marilyn devastated St. Thomas later that year, he returned to the island for a while to work with Andrew on reconstruction projects and to help in the family homestead, but then headed back to the mainland.
He said he was working as assistant manager for security at Disneyland in California when an intervention with a potential suicide victim made him decide to return to school. According to his biography, he earned his master’s degree in psychotherapy from Hope International University in Fullerton, California in 2007.
Then it was back to St. Thomas in 2010 to help out after Andrew became ill.
Through old schoolmates, he met a woman named Lisa.
“She really seemed like somebody special.” In less than a year, the two were married. “Her dream was always to work with animals” and she does, at the Humane Society.
Williams has two grown sons from a previous marriage and between them, he and Lisa have three grandchildren.
He said he maintains a good relationship with his biological father, the actor Hal Williams, whose more than 40 years in show business includes the movie and TV followup, "Private Benjamin," and the TV sitcoms "Sanford and Son" and "227." One of Williams’ sons apparently inherited the acting bug from his grandfather; so far he’s found work in commercials.
Williams’ current focus is the Celebrate Recovery program, which he is hoping will launch in September. Based on the 12-step recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous, it includes a religious component not in the AA program.
“This is not a replacement for counseling,” he stressed. “It’s not designed to replace counseling; it’s designed to supplement it.”
As with his other projects, Williams said he sees a need he thinks he can help fill.
“I’ve a great love for people and want to see people help themselves,” he said.
