Hal Williams (1934 – 2026)

Their Story

Halroy Candis Williams was an American actor best known for his recurring roles as Police Officer Smith ("Smitty") on Sanford and Son (1972–1976), Harley Foster on The Waltons (1973–1980), and as the patriarch Lester Jenkins on the NBC sitcom 227 which originally aired from 1985 until 1990. Williams worked as a postal worker and corrections officer before moving to Hollywood to pursue an acting career in 1968, and began pursuing his acting career full-time in 1970. His career stretched for the better part of six decades and he worked steadily, with even longer stints on ABC's On the Rocks (24 episodes) and the full run of the Private Benjamin TV adaptation, on which he played the curmudgeonly Sgt. Ted Ross. He was a longtime board member of the Los Angeles Actors' Theatre founded by Ralph Waite, and decades ago established the Mark K.A. Williams Memorial Scholarship Foundation to provide funds to students of color pursuing college degrees in television/communications, named for his late son Mark, a broadcasting major, who died on a camping trip in the Angeles National Forest at 20 years old. Williams is survived by two children, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.</bio> <parameter name="timelineEvents">[ { "date": "1934-12-14", "title": "Born in Columbus, Ohio", "description": "Halroy Candis Williams born in Columbus, Ohio" }, { "date": "1960s", "title": "Early community theater work", "description": "Began acting in community theater in Ohio in the early 1960s" }, { "date": "1968", "title": "Moved to Hollywood", "description": "Moved to California to pursue an acting career, working shifts around LAX and California Youth Authority" }, { "date": "1970", "title": "Full-time acting career", "description": "Began pursuing his acting career full-time" }, { "date": "1972-1976", "title": "Sanford and Son", "description": "Recurring role as Officer Smith ('Smitty') on the NBC sitcom Sanford and Son" }, { "date": "1980", "title": "Private Benjamin film", "description": "Appeared in the feature film Private Benjamin opposite Goldie Hawn" }, { "date": "1985-1990", "title": "227 starring role", "description": "Played patriarch Lester Jenkins on NBC's hit sitcom 227 alongside Marla Gibbs and Regina King" }, { "date": "2026-07-15", "title": "Died at age 91", "description": "Passed away at his home in Rancho Mirage, California" } ]

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Williams