Robert Louis Williams

Robert L. Williams, age 93, passed away on November 26, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. He was born on November 14, 1928 in Memphis, Tennessee to parents, James and Nell Williams. Bob was raised in the cities of Terrell and Dallas where he attended Hillcrest High School, and then attended and graduated from Pleasant Grove High School in 1946. He married Frances Pauline “Polly” Poston in 1948, and together they raised five children.

Bob was a talented man who built a career as a maintenance operator at Proctor and Gamble where he worked for more than 45 years. Not only did he work in his department, but management encouraged Bob to wander through other department and look for areas that could use some improvement and/ or efficiency. Bob loved expressing his creativity and kind heart by gifting nearly everyone he met with a coffee cup, wine glass, or Yeti tumbler personalized by sandblasting their names on them.  This brought him so much happiness. Bob was an avid joke teller and enjoyed making people laugh.  He had memorized at least one thousand jokes and said he had a joke for almost every topic.  He liked to play practical jokes on family and friends all in the name of good clean fun. For many years at Prairie Creek Baptist, Bob built large elaborate signs for the church. Bob was most often the emcee for church social gatherings.  He loved his church family and was happy to help in any way he could. Bob was known for his incredible natural ability of understanding most math and science disciplines. Geometry, trigonometry, and physics were his favorites.  He was self-taught and then taught his children and grandchildren to always look for various options to complete the goal or problem.  He taught the "don't give up" mentality and mentored it for us. He very patiently would solve complicated problems for neighbors and family friends who needed troubleshooting on their household appliances while most often quietly refusing any payment for his work. Bob would fix anything for anybody, and was happy to lend out his tools. He is famous for always getting his tools and ladders back as he inscribed his full name and date on each and every one of them, without fail. If there was ever a need for advice he was happy to give his opinion by saying "I'll tell you what old Bob Williams would do..." before explaining exactly what he thought, why he believed it, and was willing to debate it at length. Bob was generous and was happy to help someone along the way with a financial gift or practical gift such as a battery boost or buying your lunch.  He was heard telling others, "Let me know if I can help you with anything" and he meant it.

Bob was incredibly active even into his 92nd year, even a knee with no cartilage couldn't slow him down. He drove across the metroplex daily to see family and friends and to work on projects.  Bob was never one to sit idly except for a bowl of ice cream or an ice cold Dr Pepper. He would challenge anyone, man, woman or child, to punch him in the stomach with all of their strength, and every time their fist would bounce off as if they were punching a brick wall. Bob also enjoyed telling stories about his feats of strength he accomplished in his younger days such as picking up the corner of any car (even a Cadillac) so that the wheel came off the ground, or lifting a keg of nails using only two fingers. He could ride a bicycle backwards and balance himself parallel to the ground on only his hands.  Bob was a strong man with a gentle heart, and his exploits are legendary. You may be familiar with the phrase, "legends never die". Bob Williams was a bigger than life father, grandfather, uncle, brother-in-law and church friend,  We will miss him greatly. He taught us so much and encouraged us to think better and do better. 

Robert is preceded in death by his wife, Polly; father, James; mother, Nell; and brothers, John and Wallie. He is survived by his children: Mike, Tommy (Mayra), Paula (Randy), Donna (David), and Mary Nell; grandchildren: Jonathan Williams, Joseph Williams, and Jeffrey Williams; Leah Balch Adams and April Balch Lewis; Daniel Price, Mary Elizabeth Palmer, Benjamin Price, Blake and Cody Cash; and great-grandchildren: Joanna, Andrew, Daniel, Hudson, Rhett, Hayes, Lawson, Brooks, Elaina, Kathryn, and Lawson.