Remembering Our Friend Rep. Quentin "Q" Williams

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January 6, 2023
We lost a member of our legislative family, when, following the Governor’s Inaugural Ball, State Rep. Quentin “Q” Williams was killed in a collision when a driver was traveling the wrong way on the highway he was taking home.

Thursday was a tough day for me. It was hard as I woke my daughter Gracie and fought through sobs to tell her the news. The grief was there. When I walked the aisles of the grocery store trying to think about something — anything — other than the reality that he was gone, the grief was there.

As I drove to Hartford to join colleagues, we came together and told stories of Q that made us laugh, while we held one another it seemed for dear life, the grief was there. And the truth is, I know it will always be. Because when the people we love, and who loved us, leave us behind, we hold a space that can never be filled by anyone else.
 

But there are other things that we hold with us for always. The memories and feelings we have that remind us that the only way we can grieve the loss of someone is if we once had the great gift of caring for them. The lessons we learned as we shared spaces and experiences with them. And the knowledge that we were cared for as much as we cared.
 
From the moment I met Q, I knew he was special, and that he represented the best of us.  I always admired his patience and understanding, love for teaching, willingness to fight for what was most important, ability to listen without judgement, compassion for every single human on this planet… and of course his love for all the nerdy things I also love. He was a leader, teacher, cheerleader, teammate, fashion icon, and most importantly to me, friend.

I love Q Williams, and I love how much everyone who ever met him loved him just as much.

My heart is with his wife Carrissa and his mother, Queen, both of whom Q adored and spoke of so often.

I will carry what he taught me, how he inspired me, and the sound of his laugh, the rest of my days. And best of all, his smile.

Oh, my friend. I will always remember your smile