Lawrence "Dallas" Williams

Dallas Williams of Lakeland, TN passed away at the age of 83 on May 7, 2020. He was a member of The Church of the Nativity in Bartlett, TN and a retiree from E.I. duPont and Company. He is survived by his wife, Rosemary Williams, his two children, Lisa Frank and Russ Williams, and his five grandchildren, Taylor Frank, Jordan Frank, Kirsten Frank, Leslie Williams and Matthew Williams. He was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Dorothy Williams and his stillborn son, Mark Williams.

Dallas lived a loving and vibrant life. Born in Memphis in 1936, he grew up mostly in Hardeman County and cut timber with his father as a teenager. He met Dorothy in 1955 and they were married in Memphis in 1957. He was deeply devoted to Dorothy until the day she died in 2011. Dallas and Dorothy were the most gentle, loving and supportive parents and grandparents for which anyone could ever hope. Dallas met Rosemary in 2014 and they were married in 2016. Rosemary’s devotion to Dallas and her care for him as his health declined have been truly extraordinary.

Before beginning his 35-year career with duPont, Dallas worked at the Sears distribution center in Crosstown and Stringer Brothers Nursery with Dorothy. He was proud of his duPont career and his ascension from material handler in 1959 to middle management at the Memphis plant for most of his career - “not bad for a country boy,” he would say. After retiring from duPont, he worked many years as a local courier, making friends across the city with his big smile and kind heart.

Dallas was a dreamer, who lived life to the fullest. As a young man, he wanted to be a singer/songwriter. He performed in local talent shows, featuring songs like “Money Honey'' by Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters. He left behind a book of twenty songs he wrote when he was 16. Later, he aspired with his friend, Joe Locke to create trademarked board games. Together, they formally submitted several game ideas to Parker Brothers in the 1960s, complete with mockups of game boards, accessories and detailed instructions.

Along the way, Dallas brought a strong back to anything his family needed. He lied about his age and worked in a sawmill when he was sixteen to help his parents through financial troubles. He was often called to duty to help Dorothy’s nine brothers and sisters with one thing or another over the years. He took on a second job every winter to help pay for a nice family Christmas, working nights at the Memphis Shulton Plant making Old Spice Soap on a Rope. He coached baseball teams when Russ was young, hauling the equipment from ballpark to ballpark in his used 1960s Volkswagen van. Later in life, when he was dissatisfied with available equipment for Kirsten, his handicapped granddaughter, he designed and built things himself to aid her development and mobility.

Dallas’s family deeply regrets the inability to hold a memorial service due to coronavirus restrictions. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to SRVS, a local non-profit agency supporting people with disabilities.