Thomas Williams

Thomas Everett Williams returned to his heavenly home on March 12, 2014 following a short but valiant battle with cancer. He was born April 21, 1947, to Lonzo Everett and Melba (Moon) Williams in Wendell, Idaho. He was the eldest of six children. He spent his spirited youth exploring the wilderness of Idaho, Montana, and Washington where he developed a deep love for the mountains, the fish in their streams, and the wildlife who made the forest home. Much to his teachers’ relief he graduated from high school in Benton City, WA in 1965. He was a very creative and mischievous youth who gave his parents more than one gray hair. In 1966, he felt the pull to serve alongside his countrymen and enlisted in the United States Air Force. He was honorably discharged in 1969 after serving in the Vietnam conflict. He married Betty Irene Williams on August 24, 1968 in Crestview, Florida. They were blessed with five children who Tom loved dearly. His family was his life and he enjoyed spending time with each of his children and grandchildren, especially if it was along the banks of a fishing stream. As a father he was firm and fun loving, gaining a reputation for being tough one moment and ridiculous and silly the next. As a grandfather he spent many patient hours untangling fishing lines and teaching his grandchildren the joy of his favorite sport. Tom joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1960 and through their youth program spent many years serving in the Boy Scouts. He will be remembered fondly by every boy whose life he touched as a man who taught them much about God’s creations and how to survive on nothing but a good knife, and the items in his pockets. He was an avid Seahawks fan who kept the nurses on their toes as he cheered them on from his hospital bed this year during the Super Bowl. Known for always having a Pepsi in hand and another in his pocket, the Pepsi Cola industry will feel his loss deeply. He spent many years working on the family farm as well as in the logging industry. After moving his family to Yakima, Washington in 1982 he worked as an industrial electrician at All Wood Components from 1982 until his retirement in 2008. In his later years Tom lived his life the way he had always wished: quietly in the country. He made his home a place where family and friends were always welcome and his grandchildren loved to visit. Grandpa often had some new surprise for his grandchildren when they came but always a constant was the fridge full of soda, a freezer full of popsicles, and a giant bowl of candy on the dining room table. He had a fun-loving spirit. He loved to tell jokes and make those around him laugh or entertain them for hours with tall tales of his adventures. Preceded in death by his father Lonzo Williams, his mother Melba Moon Williams, a brother Terry Williams, and sister in-law Donna Williams, Tom is now enjoying a joyful reunion. He is survived by his wife Betty Williams, his five children: Chad Williams (Destiny) of Yakima, WA, Casie Adams (Dee) of Belcher, LA, Stephanie Colliander (Ben) of Hood River, OR, Brian Williams of Yakima, WA, and Laurie Lorimer (Andy) of Logan, UT; 15 wonderful grandchildren, a sister, Lonna Davis, brothers Wade Williams, Lyle Williams, and Kent Williams; numerous nieces and nephews, and many dear friends including his best friend to the end: his dog Sasha. A memorial will be held Saturday March 29th at 1 pm at the LDS Church located at 705 S. 38th Ave. in Yakima, WA. In lieu of flowers the family asks that you donate to Cottage in the Meadow in Yakima, WA so that others might also be blessed, as our family was, with the kindness and loving care given by this wonderful facility and the caregivers there. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Thomas Williams, please visit our flower store.