Williams' Son Passes Away From Leukemia at Age of 35

Controversial Son Known for Cryogenic Debate Surrounding Hall of Fame Father

FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 7) -- The son of Hall of Famer Ted Williams died late Friday of leukemia in a hospital in Los Angeles, an attorney for Ted Williams' family said. John Henry Williams was 35.

Peter Sutton said Williams died at UCLA Medical Center with family members at his bedside.

Sutton said sister Claudia Williams and Eric Abel, an attorney for John Henry Williams, informed him of the death by phone.

Williams, at the center of a controversy surrounding his father's remains, had been battling the disease for months. In December, he underwent a bone marrow transplant, using a donation from Claudia, his youngest sister.

"On behalf of all of us with the Boston Red Sox, we extend our condolences to the John Henry Williams family," Red Sox principal owner John W. Henry said. "Perhaps no person meant more to the history of the Boston Red Sox than did his father, and it was clear that his father's life and legacy were the focal point of John Henry Williams' life.

"It is particularly sad that leukemia claimed his life, for his father was a pioneer in the development of the Jimmy Fund, which has made such remarkable progress in the fight against cancer."

Williams said in October that he had been diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia that month at UCLA Medical Center. He said at the time that he had already started chemotherapy.

About 10,500 new cases of acute myelogenous leukemia are diagnosed each year in the United States, with remission occurring in 70-80 percent of those patients.

A spokeswoman at UCLA Medical Center said Sunday she had no record of John Henry Williams currently being a patient at the hospital.

After his father died July 5, 2002, John Henry Williams had his father's body taken to an Arizona cryonics lab for freezing, setting off a battle with his half-sister, who said her father had wanted to be cremated.

The matter was settled last December, when Bobby Jo Ferrell, Ted Williams' oldest daughter, dropped her objections.

Ted Williams finished with a .344 career average and was the last major leaguer to bat over .400, when he hit .406 in 1941.

John Henry Williams made an attempt in the past two seasons to follow in his father's footsteps, playing for some low-level minor league and independent baseball teams.

I heard that they will freeze Jr's body as well!! That is what CNN, FOX, and MSNBC has said!!

Tragic son is frozen with Ted

John Henry Williams, the controversial son of baseball Hall of Fame slugger Ted Williams, has joined his father in having his body frozen at an Arizona cryogenic laboratory after losing the battle against acute myelogenous leukemia, the Herald has learned.

``I think it's safe to assume that John Henry is with Ted,'' said a source close to the Williams family. ``Wherever Ted is you can assume that John Henry is with him.''

John Henry Williams, 35, died Saturday night in a California hospital with his sister, Claudia, and mother Dorothy, at his bedside, sources said.

His remains were taken to the Alcor Life Extension Foundation in Arizona where Ted Williams' body was frozen after his death on July 5, 2002.

John Henry and Claudia Williams were the targets of ridicule and scorn after it was revealed that they entered into an agreement with their father to have their remains frozen with the hope of one day being brought back.

The Splendid Splinter's oldest daughter, Barbara Joyce Ferrell, has waged a bitter battle to recover her father's remains, claiming Ted Williams stated in his will he wanted to be cremated. Later, her half-siblings produced a handwritten statement purportedly signed by her father saying he wanted his body to go to Alcor.

Ferrell's husband, Mark, said yesterday the couple still plans to file suit ``in the next 10 days'' in U.S. District Court in Arizona to make Alcor produce documentation that Ted Williams consented to have his remains interred at the cryogenic lab.

``John Henry did this,'' Mark Ferrell said. ``We have to fight Alcor.''

The only son of Major League Baseball's greatest hitter was trying to forge a minor league career when he was diagnosed with leukemia last summer. John Henry had also entered into a business with his father to sell Ted Williams memorabilia, in which some critics charged he was using his father's legacy for his own financial gain.

Albert Cassidy, the executor of Ted Williams' estate, would not confirm that John Henry had joined his father at Alcor, where officials did not return telephone messages yesterday.

Cassidy said the backlash directed at John Henry and his sister was unfounded.

``What a great love story between father and son,'' Cassidy said. ``When Ted was ill, John Henry took care of him every day. John Henry was his son and everybody knew Ted loved that kid. It bothered me that such an issue was made of a private family matter. To turn John Henry into a bad guy was devastating. I couldn't understand why that would be.''

According to sources, Claudia Williams donated stem cells that were transplanted into her ailing brother in an unsuccessful bid to control his leukemia.

``He did everything he could to fight it,'' said the family source.

Boston Herald

Yah, I heard about that during the Sox-Yankees exhibition game, thats also a tragic loss :( We were talking about it in history and it turns out my teacher went to school with John Henry but anyways, another devestating loss f or the William's family and friends, my condolences

35 is way too young!! Was he married with kids BTW!!??:( :(

I didn't agree with what he was doing but this is very sad. 35 is to young to die. R.I.P.:(

No sympathy for that piece of crap. Good riddance....

Though I don't agree with what he did either, this is very sad news. :(

I don't agree with what he did either but it's a done deal I am afraid!!

Does that mean the Williams family can get Ted out of that horrendous Cryogenics lab?

Originally posted by Eddie Haskell
No sympathy for that piece of crap. Good riddance....


Eddie that was a classless thing to say you speak of ill to a man that just died. Your have no class at all.:mad: :mad:

Originally posted by Sid
Eddie that was a classless thing to say you speak of ill to a man that just died. Your have no class at all.:mad: :mad:

Agreed right there with you Sid!!

Originally posted by Sid
Eddie that was a classless thing to say you speak of ill to a man that just died. Your have no class at all.:mad: :mad:

Why? I'm supposed to all of a sudden say something nice about that piece of garbage because he's dead? I knew him when he was alive; I dealt with him through business and let me tell you, he was an awful human being. I know people who were friends with Ted Williams and they were never allowed any contact with Ted because John Henry kept him isolated and away from everybody. Ted wanted to be cremated and John Henry forged a letter and Ted's name stating otherwise. The same way he forged his Father's autograph so he could sell them for money even though his Father was too ill to write. This loser was a terrible excuse for a man and I'm glad he's dead. I've never been a hippocrite and I won't start now.

Get a clue before you criticize someone.

And EricIdlefan, just another useless post from you to pad your post count.

Splendid Splinter's son tied the knot weeks before death

A little more than two weeks before he died, John Henry Williams, the son of Red Sox legend Ted Williams, married a 24-year-old dental hygienist on the beach in Santa Monica, Calif.

Williams, who died Saturday night of leukemia at 35, married Lisa Martin, a California woman he met last April, in front of a handful of friends.

The marriage was apparently hastily arranged. Two days prior to the ceremony, friends were summoned to Santa Monica. The wedding license was issued the same day as the ceremony was held, and sources say Williams' sister, Claudia, and his mother, Dolores, were not present.

One source says there is already friction between John Henry's widow and Claudia over the Splendid Splinter's son's inheritance - a report both the bride and Williams' attorney vehemently denied.

``There is absolutely no dispute over the will,'' the bride said through Williams family attorney Peter Sutton.

But a source who was close to John Henry said there has been ``heated discussions'' between the two women and he believes ``the lawyers are trying to sort it out.''

Martin said she was still too upset about her husband's death to answer questions.

Williams lost a six-month battle with acute myelogenous leukemia at UCLA Medical Center two months after receiving a bone-marrow transplant from Claudia.

The brother and sister were at the center of a huge cryogenics controversy after it was revealed they had their father's remains frozen in an Arizona lab after his death - defying what many said was Ted Williams' wish to be cremated and have his ashes scattered in the waters off Florida.

Ted's oldest daughter, Bobby-Jo Ferrell, has waged a bitter battle with her half-siblings over No. 9's remains and plans to file suit against the Alcor Life Extension Foundation demanding proof that Williams consented to have his body frozen. John Henry's remains reportedly were taken to Alcor after he died, where he joined his frozen father.

``Believe it or not,'' said one pal, ``he really did love his father and his father really did love him.''

Several people who were close to John Henry were taken by surprise when they heard about his sudden marriage.

One pal, who kept up an e-mail correspondence with Williams, said John Henry never mentioned any plans to wed.

``He was upbeat and excited about fighting the good fight against his disease,'' the pal said. ``Then I didn't hear from him in January and February but I heard he had taken a turn for the worse. Last week, when I learned he was gravely ill, I also found out he had gotten married. It seemed odd.''

California Superior Court Judge Valerie Baker confirmed she married the couple ``on the edge of the beach in Santa Monica, overlooking the ocean.'' Baker wouldn't provide further details.

But a source who saw John Henry on his wedding day said the groom was still hoping against hope that he would win his battle with cancer.

``He thought he was going to beat it,'' said the friend. ``He was optimistic.''

John Henry died with his wife, his mother, his sister and a former girlfriend at his bedside. Word is, Anita Lovely, who lived with John Henry and was his partner in Grand Slam Marketing, was summoned to his deathbed and found out in a cellphone call at the airport that he was married to someone else.

The family asked that donations in John Henry's name be made to the Jimmy Fund.

Boston Globe

She went from being a quick bride to a quick widown in "two short, very, very, short weeks!!"