Williams’s son was the mastermind of that. Williams met the son later in life and he was overjoyed. The son soon became the spokesperson for Willams and he tried to market Willams to the point that nobody wanted anything to do with him. I know personally what a rotten guy he was and he became a source of pain for Williams towards the end of his life.
In a strange twist, the son died not long after Williams died. The sad part of Williams’s life is that he worked his entire lifetime to preserve his privacy, and now after death, is the butt of jokes.
From everything I’ve read, Williams’ son, John Henry, was a nasty piece of work. Can you share your personal knowledge of him?
*he worked his entire lifetime to preserve his privacy, and now after death, is the butt of jokes.*
I think the daughter is one the right track to donate some of the proceeds to the Jimmy Fund, based on Ted’s long standing commitment to the cause: **Ted Williams was the single most influential person in helping to raise funds for the Children’s Cancer Research Foundation (now Dana-Farber Cancer Institute). He was an important aid to founder Dr. Sidney Farber, spreading word of Farber’s research to help save children (and later adults) from the scourge of cancer.
Ted Williams was the Red Sox’ biggest star when the Jimmy Fund was founded in 1948. He had a special love for children and was always willing to visit them in the hospital with no fanfare. He also continuously took part in Jimmy Fund fundraising efforts on behalf of the Red Sox organization, going to Little League games, American Legion banquets, temples and churches, movie houses, department stores for autograph sessions, even cookouts on Boston Common. Williams also announced that all donation checks for the Jimmy Fund sent to Fenway Park would be endorsed with his autograph for the donors.
It is estimated that Williams is personally responsible for raising millions of dollars in the fight against cancer and other related diseases.**
**“This auction was always meant to happen,” Claudia Williams wrote in the catalog, packed with photographs of hundreds of her father’s belongings. “I just never thought I would be doing it without my father and brother by my side.” Ted Williams died in 2002. His son, John Henry Williams, died in 2004.**