William “Bill” Lloyd Williams, Jr., passed away on November 29, 2021, at the age of 74. He was born on August 5, 1947 to William “Jack” Lloyd Williams, Sr. and Marie Roach Williams.
Bill grew up in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He served with distinction in Vietnam as a 1st Lieutenant in the Engineering Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division, U.S. Army, receiving the Bronze Star on three occasions. Upon his honorable discharge, he became active in Vietnam Veterans Against the War and gave testimony before U.S. Congress advocating for a withdrawal of U.S. forces and an end to hostilities in Vietnam.
Bill returned to his studies at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, earning his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. While a student, he met Merrilyn Stowe, whom he married on June 9, 1973.
He began his career as a research engineer for Texaco in Houston, Texas. After moving to South Windsor, Connecticut in 1978 he operated his own company Underground Construction & Survey for 30 years. Upon retirement, Bill and Merrilyn relocated to Bryson City, North Carolina, where they lived for the past 10 years.
Bill enjoyed a variety of interests and hobbies. As a youth he was a gifted athlete, playing baseball and football in high school and rugby in college. Bill developed a passion for golf, scuba-diving, and white water kayaking later in life, and he and Merrilyn traveled to distant locations in search of new adventures.
He loved nature and the outdoors, from gardening and beekeeping to hiking and birdwatching. In Bryson City he served as president of the Smoky Mountain Beekeepers Association and was active in the bee school and mentoring new beekeepers. He worked with a local veterans’ group to petition the state legislature to dedicate a highway bridge to decorated Vietnam veteran Dockie Brendle.
Bill is survived by his wife, Merrilyn, and his three sons and their spouses: Eli and Anna, William “Jake” and Rebecca, and George Matthew and Sarah. His grandchildren are Jack, Noelle, Mira, Henry, and George. Other survivors are his sister Constance, her husband John, and their children Christina and Jason, and his nephews Richard and Andrew, the children of his late sister Diana.
He will be greatly missed by his family and many friends.