Charles David Williams, 1954-2020

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Charles David Williams passed away on Thursday, May 14, 2020. He was born July 16, 1935 in Hainesville and began his education there, continuing on to elementary school in Quitman. He graduated from Quitman High School in 1953 and married his high school sweetheart, Shirley Dodd, in 1954. Charles’ parents, Floyd Williams and Audie Hall Williams, preceded him in death, as did his son, Charles D. Williams, Jr. (Chuck); his daughter, Sheree Jan Schuhmacher; his brother, Lee Williams; and his sister, Doris Spanko.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Shirley; brothers Conley and Jerry Williams; granddaughter, Amy Lynn Schuhmacher Williams; grandson, Brian Matthew Schuhmacher; great-grandson, Noah Kelley; and great-granddaughters, Quinn and Phoebe Schuhmacher.

Charles received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University in 1957 and 1959. He entered the U.S. Air Force on Aug. 17, 1958 and spent four years on active duty and 16 years in the USAF Reserves, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. After leaving the Air Force he joined Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) and worked in Dallas, New York and Los Angeles for 14 years. While in Dallas, he received an MBA-Finance degree from Southern Methodist University. Charles left ARCO to work for Texas Oil and Gas (TXO) in Dallas and was there five years until they were acquired in 1986 by U.S. Steel Corporation (USX). He and Shirley then moved to corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, Penn. where he was an executive officer at USX and on the internal boards of directors of USX, Marathon and TXO, the board of the U.S. Steel & Carnegie Pension Fund, and the 7-person corporate policy committee of USX. He retired in 2000, and he and Shirley moved to Tyler in 2006.  

A memorial service will be held Saturday, July 18, 2020 at Hainesville Baptist Church in Hainesville at 1 p.m. with Rev. Terry Davis and Fred Morrow officiating. 

Memorials may be made in Charles’ name to the Wounded Warrior Project at 7020 A.C. Skinner Parkway, Suite 100, Jacksonville, FL 32256. To leave a tribute, please visit www.dignitymemorial.com.