Wendy Williams' Father Thomas Williams Passes Away at Age 94
The family of media personality Wendy Williams is mourning the loss of her father, Thomas Williams, who has died at the age of 94. The sad news was announced publicly on Sunday by his granddaughter, Alex Finnie, who shared a heartfelt tribute on her Instagram account.
Emotional Announcement on Social Media
Alex Finnie, who is Wendy Williams' niece, posted a montage of family videos alongside her emotional announcement. In her caption, she wrote: 'It is with an extremely heavy heart that I share — after 94 years of extraordinary love, strength, brilliance, and wisdom, my grandfather Thomas D. Williams has passed.'
The video tribute was set to Stevie Wonder's song As, and Finnie included the lyrics 'I’ll be loving you always' in her message. She described her grandfather as 'a man of great intellect — an author, educator and keeper of historical facts' who poured into both family and community.
Family Tributes and Memories
In her Instagram post, Finnie expressed her deep grief, writing: 'I miss him tremendously. I’m a little lost for words right now, but I love you endlessly Papa. Give Nana a kiss for me.' She added that she believes he is now in heaven with his wife, watching over their family.
This loss comes after Wendy Williams' mother, Shirley Williams, passed away in 2020 at age 85. Wendy confirmed her mother's death on her talk show at the time, describing how she died 'beautifully and peacefully.'
Wendy Williams' Recent Challenges
The news of her father's passing comes during a difficult period for Wendy Williams. The former radio host was placed under a court-ordered guardianship in 2022 after being diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and primary progressive aphasia. However, in November 2025, a doctor determined that she does not actually have frontotemporal dementia.
This development has strengthened the resolve to potentially terminate the conservatorship. Her lawyer, Joe Tacopina, stated in December that 'by year's end she'll be out of guardianship.' He insisted that any memory problems she may have could be attributed to alleged alcohol abuse rather than FTP.
Recent Family Reunion
In February 2025, Wendy Williams was granted permission to leave her assisted living facility in New York City to reunite with her father alongside her son Kevin, who is 25 years old. Kevin shared on Instagram at the time: 'Happy I could make this happen for you Papa.. I said by any means and I kept my word.'
Shortly after this reunion, Wendy appeared on NewsNation and expressed her dissatisfaction with her living situation at the $18,000-per-month assisted living facility. She described it as 'very suffocating' and stated: 'I don't have the freedom to do virtually anything.'
The family continues to navigate these challenging circumstances while mourning the loss of their patriarch, Thomas Williams, who is remembered as a pillar of strength and wisdom in their lives.
