The Departure of Mother Aditya

Posted Sep 4, 2005

Dear Devotees,

With a sad heart, we regret to inform you of the passing away of one our dear members of the ISKCON Potomac community, Mother Aditya.

Mother Aditya departed this life peacefully at the home of her daughter Elsie on August 23, 2005, surrounded by family members.

Mother Aditya was born Rosemary Elizabeth Williams on December 17, 1935, at Freeman Hospital in Washington, D.C. to Elizabeth Gibson and John Henry Church. She received her primary education from D.C. Public School, where she graduated as an honor-roll student. After graduating from high school, Mother Aditya worked at the Marriott hotel for many years.

In the late sixties, Mother Aditya studied under the honorable Elijah Mohammed and was one of the first black women to attend the Islamic Center in Washington, D.C. She took Islamic initiation and was given the name Adifah. she was well versed in scriptures and was known to have deep spiritual insight. Mother Aditya became an ordained minister and also became a philosopher and studied many religions.

Mother Aditya later joined ISKCON and was initiated by H.H. Bhakti-tirtha Swami Maharaj in June 2000 in Gita Nagari. For the rest of her life she stayed in ISKCON and was associated with the Institute for Applied Spiritual Technologies (IFAST, the spiritual organization founded by H.H. Bhakti-tirtha Swami Maharaj). Mother Aditya was especially noted by the members of IFAST for her dedication in coming to weekly morning programs and dressing Srila Prabhupada despite her advanced age and pain in her legs.

Mother Aditya took great pleasure in her devotional duties at the temple and in family gatherings, music, dancing, and telling jokes.

Mother Aditya married the now-deceased George P. Williams Sr. and leaves behind her loving children— Jeanette, George Jr, Joyce, James, Edith, and Elsie. Grandchildren include Lakisha, Robert, Latasha, Elijah, Kaleda, Rasheda, LaDana, Ayesha, Lil Ronald, Lil Dwayne, Mikea, Emmanuel, and Micah, and there are eight great grandchildren as well as a sister, Susan Mason; a brother, Donte Church; a brother-in-law, William Mason; three sons-in-law, Cornelius, Dwayne, and Michael; nieces; a close and dear friend of many years, Angela Sirnik; and a host of other family members and friends.

Naveen Krishna dasa, the head pujari, at the ISKCON Potomac temple, noted how Mother Aditya had a strong affection for the Deities and would often gaze upon them fondly from the back of the temple. One day, she noticed that Krishna’s eyes had been decorated differently, and she complained to Naveen Krishna prabhu about his changing the decorations on the Lord’s face.

Let us all pray for her safe journey back to Krishna and to Srila Prabhupada. Hare Krishna!