Florence Williams

A petite actress imbued with natural warmth and poise, Florence Williams was born to successful attorney Charles Parker Williams and his socialite wife Mabel Megginson. Musically inclined, Florence attended Washington University with the intention of pursuing a career as a concert pianist; however, this versatile, talented young woman developed an interest in voice and drama, and was also noted for her skill as a seamstress who designed and created her own clothes. While appearing in an amateur production of Lady Windermere's Fan, Florence's performance made an indelible impression on Hubert Osborne, artistic director for Chicago's prestigious Goodman Theater. Osborne was soon ousted from his position, but Florence's career quickly blossomed. She played many parts in summer stock, where she met future husband scenic designer Leon Whitten, and eventually landed on Broadway performing opposite legendary actress Lillian Gish. Throughout the 1930s, Florence dedicated herself primarily to a stage career, but a change of venue suddenly arose in 1936 when she accepted an offer to appear on NBC radio's romantic Civil War drama Roses and Drums. Florence's brilliant portrayal of Barbara Ware, Quaker school mistress turned Union spy, launched a prosperous new career in radio drama. For much of the next two decades, she divided her time between stage and radio performances. In June 1941, she reached a national audience by originating the long-running role of Sally, secretary (and later wife) to ace, globe-trotting newspaper reporter David Farrell in the popular afternoon radio adventure serial Front Page Farrell. By the 1960s, Florence added minor television appearances to her acting resume, including day-player and under-5 parts on New York based soap operas. One of her most notable television roles in this era was the recurring character Edna Hamilton on Colgate-Palmolive's The Doctors, in which Florence portrayed the sympathetic mother to star Elizabeth Hubbard's Dr. Althea Davis. Now widowed and remarried in real life, Florence left New York and her entertainment career behind in 1973, retiring with her husband to a quiet life in Rockport, Maine. Although she received many invitations to participate in community theater, Florence felt that she was too old to resume acting and politely declined. However, to keep herself active, she joined a local acting workshop at age 81. Encouraged by her peers, an initially reluctant Florence ultimately participated in The Belle of Amherst, a one-woman show based on the life of poet Emily Dickinson. Using the professional name Florence Marshall, she performed her show nationally for the public in a series of benefits for nursing homes and abused children. Florence continued to involve herself in local Maine theater productions until 1992, two years before her death at age 84.