TRIBUTES have been paid to courageous Hillsborough campaigner Anne Williams after she lost her battle with cancer.
The 62-year-old mum, who lost her teenage son Kevin in the 1989 disaster, passed away at the Birkdale home of her brother
Danny Gordon last Thursday.
Anne, who lived in Formby at the time of the tragedy, had been battling cancer for seven months.
The grandmother will be remembered as an inspirational figure and a tireless campaigner for justice who fought unsuccessfully three times to have the discredited accidental death inquest verdict quashed.
She always maintained that Kevin, 15, was alive beyond the 3.15pm cut-off point imposed by the coroner Stefan Popper.
And she was thoroughly vindicated by last
September’s Hillsborough Independent Panel report and the subsequent quashing of the “accidental death” verdicts in December. She made her last public appearance at the 24th anniversary service at Anfield last Monday – defying doctors’ advice.
Tributes have flooded in for Anne. Barry Devonside, who lost his 18-year-old son
Christopher at the disaster, said that he will forever remember her as a “courageous” figure.
Barry, also from Formby, said: “I knew Anne as a fellow Formby resident and as a campaigner for the truth. Anne was such a courageous lady and her fight for justice for her son Kevin was incredible.
“Even in the darkest days of her own health, she defied what the doctors said to her and still went to Monday’s 24th annual service at Anfield.
“I first met Anne in the weeks after the disaster when she came to our home. She just wanted to speak to someone who was in the same position as she was and she kept coming around to see us.
“People did not know what to do or where to go back then and she just wanted to make contact with us and talk. All she ever wanted to do was to achieve justice for her Kevin, but the judicial system kept letting her down and letting Kevin down.
“When you think back to Stefan Popper and everything that he said about the 3.15pm cut-off point, she was let down so badly. She went through different governments and three Attorney-Generals and they have all been a disgrace for what they did to her. I know that all the families fought for truth and fight for justice but Anne’s actions must be complimented. I don’t know anyone that would have gone to the lengths what she did for Kevin. Her son was a delightful person and society badly let her down and Kevin too.
“It’s so sad that she’s gone and she never heard Kevin’s true inquest verdict because that is something she should have heard. But her fight for justice will go on. It was a pleasure to have known her and I will never ever forget her because she had a strength of character that is never really seen these days. It’s such a shame.”
Friend and Hillsborough Justice Campaign spokesperson Sheila Coleman was emotional about Anne’s passing and said: “I am immensely saddened by the death of Anne Williams. She paid the ultimate price for her fight for justice. Quite simply she was an inspiration. When I saw Anne on Monday, I knew it was the last time I would see her alive. It was very emotional. Anne was in her wheelchair outside Anfield surrounded by people who had supported her fight for all the years.
“We had been looking forward to continuing the fight but then she was diagnosed with that dreadful illness. It was only her sea of willpower that got her to the service on Monday. She was determined to be there for her son and fulfil her duty. You could tell she was weary.”
Anne died just a week before the hearing which will pave the way for fresh inquests. Next Thursday in London, a court will decide the timing and location for the new inquests.
Social media site Twitter was inundated with messages condolence.
Liverpool FC tweeted:
“LFC was saddened to hear of the death of prominent Hillsborough campaigner Anne Williams. RIP Anne.”
Everton FC said:
“The thoughts of everyone at Everton are with the family of Anne Williams, who sadly passed away.”
After Monday’s service, Anne said: “I’m elated for the survivors and everyone who has helped our fight since the formation of the Hillsborough Working Party that the whole world now knows the truth about what happened. So many professional people have given their time and expertise for free over many years – I feel indebted to these people.
“Knowing that we had their support and also that of the Liverpool and Everton fans, the people of Merseyside and from all over the place really kept me going. I just couldn’t handle the lies. I uncovered that Kevin was alive after 3.15pm, only had relatively mild injuries and could have been saved.
“I’ve been lied to by pathologists, witnesses in Kevin’s case have been pressurised – but now finally Kevin will get his inquest. It is very, very important that the fight for justice does go on.”
Hillsborough campaigner Anne Williams from Formby was courageous and an inspiration - Southport Visiter
