Student rep to UM System Curators dies in car crash, remembered as 'most kind human'

Remington Williams, the student representative to the University of Missouri System Board of Curators, died Wednesday in a car accident, eliciting emotional reactions from system officials and others.

Williams was appointed by Gov. Mike Parson as student representative to the board in July 2020. He was a recent graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review and Honor Court. He was completing his master of business administration degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

The UM System's Office of Legal Counsel had recently extended an offer for Williams to serve as a fellow.

Williams was known to faculty and students as Remy, said Nancy Levit, UMKC School of Law associate dean, who was Williams' faculty advisor. Williams was on the editorial board of the Law Review, the school's premier law journal.

"Remy could have gone anywhere to law school," Levit said. "He always charted his own path."

He chose UMKC because he loved the city and wanted to make an impact in his hometown, Levit said.

"He rocketed to prominence" as student representative to the curators, conveying student views to curators on issues they were deciding, she said.

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Williams was "other-directed," she said.

"He cared about the people around him," Levit said. "He wanted to serve the people around him. He was in law in order to give back to people."

He had such a bright future, which makes his loss especially tragic, she said.

Williams was always willing to help fellow students who were struggling, she said.

"Remy was always contributing in a positive way to build people up," she said.

Williams was a great student leader, but to Claire Shipp, he was also a close friend. Shipp graduated from MU in the spring. Williams was chair of the Intercampus Student Council, and she was the vice chair during the past year.

"Remington obviously was a great student leader, but to me he was so much more," Shipp said. "He was the most kind human I've ever met."

When she was notified she had received a Truman Scholarship, she said Williams wrote her a congratulatory letter on his own letterhead and invited her to dinner at his favorite Italian restaurant in Kansas City.

"He was a fun-loving human being," Shipp said. "He was very carefree, but cared for his friends and the people he loved."

The student representative reports to the curators at every meeting about student activities on the four campuses and serves as the students' voice to the board. The student representative isn't a voting member of the board. He or she is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, serving two years.

The appointments rotate among the campuses.

“Remington was an outstanding individual and a tremendous asset to the Board of Curators,” Board chairman Darryl Chatman said in a statement. “He was actively engaged with the students at each of our four universities and worked to amplify their successes, promote their stories and ensure their concerns were heard. Remington was the best of us, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

UMKC School of Law Dean Barbara Glesner Fines wrote in an email to the law school that Williams was preparing to take the bar exam, writing that his death was "tragic."

"He was upbeat, positive, and always took responsibility for his own education and growth," Fines wrote. "He had a bright future ahead."

UM System President and MU Chancellor Mun Choi also praised Williams' service.

“Remington dedicated himself to the service of the University of Missouri,” Choi said in a statement. “As a student of not one, but two system universities, Remington was deeply connected to his fellow students and advocated for their interests to the Board of Curators. He was committed to advancing the mission of the university and ensuring all students had the opportunity to receive an excellent education and an outstanding experience. He will be sorely missed.”

Williams earned his bachelor's degree in business administration and Spanish from Georgetown (Ky.) College in 2019. While there, he served as student body president and president of his fraternity. He also graduated from the National Leadership Conference in Shelby, Michigan.

The crash occurred around 12:40 a.m. Wednesday at Ward Parkway and 75th Street in Kansas City. A car failed to stop at the stoplight, striking Williams' car. He died at the scene. The other driver was taken into custody for a DUI investigation.

Roger McKinney is the education reporter for the Tribune. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Student rep to UM Curators, Remington Williams, remembered after death