Amber Renee Williams, age 24, of Lumberton, NC, passed away on Monday, July 10, 2023, after a long battle with drug addiction. Amber was only five days away from reaching her one year of sobriety and was excited to celebrate with her family and friends. Amber had recently been in recovery and was working hard to get her life back on track. She was proud of the progress she had made and wanted to share her journey with others.

Even so, Amber was so much more than her addiction -- she was a light in the darkness. She loved to laugh and she had such an amazing, infectious laugh. She loved being goofy, joking around, acting silly, dancing, and singing (even though she couldn't!). But, most of all, she loved to talk and talk and talk! She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. When she loved, she loved hard and with everything she had. To know her was to love her and she was truly loved by so many!

Amber was like no one else! She was clearly born to stand out and that she did. She was such a diva, never wanting to go anywhere without her wig and eyelashes on. She recently told her mom and sister, "If I die, you better bury me with my wigs!" and that we will do.

On July 10, Amber was upset and, unfortunately, turned to drugs once again to help ease her pain, not realizing that when she laid across her bed, closed her eyes, and took a breath that it would be her last. Amber aspired to become a drug addiction advocate, so to honor her, we share her story. We hope that it will somehow touch the lives of others who are also battling addiction. If only one life is saved, then her death will not have been for nothing.

We can't imagine a life without her in it. God knew Amber better than anyone. He knew her pain, her suffering, and her struggles and knew that she was ready. She touched the lives of everyone who was blessed to have known her. Her absence will be felt forever!

She was preceded in death by her "Mama", Angie Wilkins, and her best friend, Marcey Blanks.

She is survived by her mother, Tonya Williams of Fairmont, NC; her maternal grandparents: Clinton "PeeWee" Williams of Lumberton, NC and Peggy & Jimmy Warner of High Point, NC; her brothers: Matthew Williams, Austin McDonald, and Dakota McDonald, all of Lumberton, NC; her sisters, Candace Williams of Lumberton, NC and Promise Jones of Fairmont, NC; 9 nieces and nephews; her aunt, Crystal Hall (Mike) of Rockingham, NC; and a host of cousins, aunts, uncles, and other extended family members.

The family will receive friends and loved ones prior to the service on Sunday, July 16, 2023, from 2:00-3:00 PM at Floyd Memorial Chapel, 809 E. 5th Street in Lumberton, NC. Following the visitation, a funeral service will be held at 3:00 PM. Burial will follow at Gardens of Faith Cemetery, 5190 N. Fayetteville Road in Lumberton, NC.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the funeral home to help offset Amber's final expenses.