Phoebe pays tribute to employee lost to COVID-19
Special Photo: Phoebe
From staff reports
ALBANY— Environmental Services workers at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital’s main campus have a comfortable and inviting new place to gather, a place that also memorializes one of their former co-workers.
Louise Williams was a beloved member of the Phoebe EVS team, serving at the main hospital for more than 20 years. She passed away from COVID-19 in April, the only member of the Phoebe Family to die from the virus.
“My mom was a Phoebe person. She loved working here,” Shabreka Dent, Williams’ daughter, said in a news release. “A lot of people forget about the unsung heroes, but she’s one of them, and I’m glad she’ll be remembered.”
Williams was affectionately known as Weezie by her family. This week, Phoebe opened “Weezie’s Place,” a brand new break room for EVS workers named in Williams’ honor.
“Our EVS teams are just as much on the front lines as our doctors and nurses,” Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Chief Executive Officer Joe Austin said. “They work incredibly hard every day to keep our facilities clean and safe, and they have done so much to serve our patients throughout our COVID-19 fight. This is one small way we can show our appreciation, and it’s a wonderful way to honor Louise’s legacy.”
Williams had three children and eight grandchildren. Her oldest daughter passed away in 2014, and she became the guardian for her daughter’s two sons, dedicating her life to providing them a loving home. At Phoebe, she was known for her warm smile and her compassionate, helpful attitude.
“No matter what she was going through, she always came to work with a smile,” co-worker Patricia Gatewood said.
That smile is captured in a picture of Williams that will be permanently displayed on a wall in Weezie’s Place. The room also includes refrigerators, microwaves, a large television, soothing artwork and comfortable seating areas.
“Coming into this room will brighten the day for our hard-working EVS crew and provide them a place they can relax and recharge,” Phoebe Putney Health System President & Chief Executive Officer Scott Steiner said. “Louise was such a great representative of our EVS team. She certainly left her mark at Phoebe and will forever remain part of the Phoebe Family.”
Members of Williams’ family joined Phoebe leaders Monday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and expressed their gratitude for the recognition.
“I know she’s smiling about this,” Sabrina Jefferson, Williams’ sister, said. “It means so much. It’s a sad moment, but it’s a great moment, too. And to call it ‘Weezie’s Place,’ that’s what the family called her, so that means y’all are family, too.”
Related Articles
From cotton to cloud: In the data center debate, is rural Georgia once again being asked to carry the cost?
Across much of rural Georgia, the abandoned cotton warehouses and shrinking tax bases remain — enduring reminders that industries built to serve distant markets do not necessarily stay rooted in the communities that first sustained them.
My Grandpa Was Killed in World War II. I Met Him Through His Letters Home
Gina Wolf’s grandfather died before she was born. His letters sent to her grandmother from Europe during World War II made it possible to know what kind of man he was.
‘Sounds Like a Mutiny.’ Secret Recording Exposes Claims of Toxic Leadership After a Marine’s Suicide
This week’s War Horse story follows the systemic failures before and after the death of Cpl. Drew Mobley who was the third in two years at Marine Corps Base Quantico to die by suicide.
