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Don David Williams, 94, born June 5, 1922, passed away May 17, 2017 at Bellevue Hospital in Nebraska.
The only son of four children born to the late Evelyn and Sherman Williams, he was raised in the small resort town of Russells Point. In his youth, Don ran the roller coaster at the local amusement park and also worked for the railroad until he joined the Army Air Corps at age 22.
During WWII, Don flew the B24 as a part of the 386th Bomber Group and was shot down over Austria on Christmas Eve 1944. He remained a POW until the end of the war. After his release, he returned to his home town and opened his own airport. He flew passengers and freight and ran a flight school. Don met the love of his life, Lois “Marilyn” Moots through her brother, Carl, one of Don’s flying students.
Don and Marilyn were married Oct. 11, 1949. Don continued his aviation career in Cleveland and then Chicago with American Airlines and retired as a captain on the DC10 on Memorial Day 1982. He is a member of the Quiet Birdmen and The Grey Eagles. In retirement, Don and Marilyn moved between Chicago and Jensen Beach, Fla. They continued this until 2016 when they moved to Papillion, Neb., to be near family.
In their life together, they had three daughters, Aaris (David) Leahy of Libertyville, Ill., Robin (Jim) Anderson of Papillion, Neb., and Amy (Ken) Kliesner of Wichita, Kan. They were blessed with eight grandchildren, Samantha (Campbell) Steele, Matt (Anne) Leahy, Erin (Alan) Grubb, Lucas Anderson, Chelsea (Casey) Kettler, Aaris (Matthew) Nespor, Ryan Kliesner and Patrick Kliesner; and eight great-grandchildren, Mac, Soran, Augie and Mary Jane Leahy, Sam Grant, Kate Anderson and Charlie and Henry Steele.
He also was preceded in death by his sisters, Grace and Helen; his sister-in-law, Kathleen Moots; five brothers-in-law, Max Needles, Chuck Haney, Tim Kirkendall, Carl Moots and Ray Moots; his niece, Nancy Lutz; and nephew, Phil Needles.
His beloved wife, Marilyn still lives in their home in Nebraska. He is also survived by his youngest sister, Anne Kirkendall of Merritt Island, Fla., and Marilyn’s sister, Imogene Moots of Bellefontaine. Don has many nieces and nephews living around the country who had a special place in his heart. He will be missed.
Funeral services begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 27, at Shoffstall Funeral Home, 205 S. Main St., Lakeview, with visitation from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Burial follows in Huntsville Cemetery.
Condolences may be expressed at shoffstallfuneralhome.com.