Staunton High School star athlete laid to rest Sunday

STAUNTON, Va. (WHSV) - Sunday afternoon teammates, coaches, friends, and family gathered at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Staunton to lay to rest Josiah Williams.

Williams was a star athlete at Staunton High School. According to his mother, Mishal Merchant, he played basketball, tennis, and ran track, but she said football was his passion.

Merchant said he was admitted to the ICU on July 29 and passed on Aug 9.

In a statement to WHSV Merchant said “My son, Josiah was born with the heart of a true champion. He was athletically gifted at every sport including fishing, but football was his passion. He was planning to attend Louisburg College in North Carolina and play football there. At 6′6″, he was the biggest, strongest, toughest, most competitive, healthiest person I have ever known.”

After the funeral service, Williams had a police and motorcycle escort to his final resting place at Kerr’s Creek Baptist Church in Lexington, Virginia.

Merchant said she wants to do everything to honor her son’s legacy.

WHSV is not aware of the cause of Williams’ death.