Overview
- Williams died Wednesday morning at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, his representative Zna Portlock Houston confirmed to multiple outlets.
- His manager told TMZ that he died of natural causes after recent health issues, while some reports said no official cause was immediately disclosed.
- His nearly six-decade career included recurring roles as Officer “Smitty” on Sanford and Son and as Lester Jenkins on 227 and ended with a late-career appearance on the Matlock reboot.
- Co-stars and public figures including Jackée Harry and Marla Gibbs posted tributes praising his warmth, professionalism and influence in portraying loving, present Black fathers on network TV.
- He is survived by two children, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, he founded the Mark K.A. Williams Memorial Scholarship in his late son’s memory, and no public funeral or memorial plans have been widely reported.