Gaylon Ray Williams

Mr. Gaylon Ray Williams "Willy" passed away on December 13, after a septic infection. Gaylon "Willy" was born in Duncan, Oklahoma on December 3, 1929, to Leonard A Williams and Lilliam Janette Kight. 

Gaylon lived in Duncan until he was 10 years old. Then the family moved to Arizona due to his father's illness caused by exposure to mustard gas while in World War I.

There Gaylon went to school in Bryce Elementary, then to Pima High School. He met Berta Hancock between the 8th grade and freshman year. They went together all through high school. He graduated in 1948 and married Berta right after that. 

Gaylon tried a few jobs but didn't care for any of them. He joined the Army before the Korean Conflict and was sent to Japan to fix teletype machines as the war was starting. This is where he got the nickname "Willy". He was in Japan for two years. They had one daughter before he left, one was born while he was gone, and two boys joined them after he returned. 

After this, the family moved to Darmstadt, Germany for a time, then returned to Arizona. He left the army prior to moving to St. David. Then he started his business in Benson, AZ, known as St. David Electronics. He sold and repaired televisions, and other appliances for 15 years. The family lived in St. David for 67 years. He was married to Berta for 73 years, until her passing last year in July. 

While they were married they lived in Pima, Safford, Ft. Hood, TX, Darmstadt Germany, Tombstone and St. David. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard A Williams and Lillian Janette Kight, all six of his siblings, his wife Berta and son Randall, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, a brother-in-law and a sister-in-law.

He is survived by his children, Gale (Larry) Howard, Coleen (Read) Saunders and Russell Williams. He is also survived by two sisters-in-law, two brothers-in-law, eleven grandchildren, thirty great-grandchildren and ten great-great-grandchildren with two more on the way next month. 

Funeral services will be held December 31, 2022, at 10:00am in the St. David Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 640 W Patton St. in St. David, AZ, a viewing will be held prior to the funeral from 9:00am - 9:45am.

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