[hoosier]

Student Killed in Frat House Fire Laid to Rest

POSTED: 6:47 am EDT September 2, 2004

ATLANTA -- Jim Williams routinely reminded his son Jordan of two expectations so the two could one day meet in heaven: find a purpose in life and push yourself to achieve.


"I am proud to say Jordan lived up to his side of the bargain," said Williams, prompting the crowd of hundreds at his son's funeral to break down into sniffles and sobs.

Jordan Williams was one of three victims of a fire that swept through the Alpha Tau Omega house early Friday at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss. Authorities are still awaiting lab results to determine the cause of the fire.


Williams' friends and family spoke of a 20-year-old who lived his credo -- that life should be enjoyed, not endured.

He was the type of student that, even as a first-grader, was the social coordinator of the class, his father said. It was then that Jordan's parents were called in to the classroom to discuss a complaint filed after Jordan had kissed a female classmate.

It seemed the problem was more widespread -- Jordan had been smooching girls throughout the playground.

Their son's explanation? "He said he was a member of the 'Lovers' Boy Club,"' his father recalled.

As Jordan grew older, he evolved into a cool, logical thinker who counseled his father to avoid stereotypes and take life's complications in stride.

Classmates described a budding renaissance man, a friend who was a compassionate listener, voracious reader and intense music lover.

Three busloads of classmates from Mississippi joined the mix of friends that streamed into the sanctuary.

Fraternity brothers clenched their eyes closed, fighting back tears while some girls stood prepared to position the sunglasses cocked conveniently above their heads.

Students wearing the conservative uniforms of the Lovett School, the private academy Williams attended, sat alongside a band of mourners sporting sandals with their shirts and ties.

In between sobs, Williams' closest friends spoke of attending the final show of jam band Phish in Vermont, perhaps their happiest memory of their classmate.

A pillow stitched with the band's name lay in the coffin beside Williams' head, and lyrics from the Red Hot Chili Peppers' song "Dosed" rested on his chest. Two shirts emblazoned with the Greek letters of his fraternity sat beside him.

While his loyalty to his friends was applauded, church leaders said Williams' devotion to his faith made him unique.

Dr. Paul Walker, pastor emeritus for Mount Paran Church of God, recalled standing at the same altar 20 years ago, declaring a baby Jordan's life to God as he held him in his outstretched hands.

"The pattern is finished, the mosaic is completed -- and the painting has turned into a masterpiece," Walker said.

Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.