Frances Faison says she can’t remember a single day in which her oldest son William gave her trouble, “He’d always come straight home from school,” she said. “He wouldn’t stop, I could count on him. He was good.”

His interest in helping people was obvious from an early age, and by his teenage years he was the go-to guy for landing jobs for his friends. Mrs. Faison said it was a natural progression when he decided to become a probation officer, working with troubled teens in Lower Manhattan. He soon married and had two children, Jalen, now 20, and Marcus, 12.

A few years ago, Faison’s life shifted course: his marriage broke down, which led him and Jalen to move in with Frances. He also left his job as a probation officer and began working as a counselor to disabled people in Queens.

Throughout the challenging times, Frances said William’s character never changed. He stayed close to both sons, worked hard in his church, and made sure everyone was taken care of. “If he was out, he would call 2 or 3 times to make sure I was okay,” Francis said. “He was always the same loving, caring person.”