Donald Andrews Williams

Don was born on January 22, 1938, to proud parents Hal and Helen Williams, and raised in Fresno along with older brother Tom. He was a ball of energy and mischief as a young child and into his teen years until at the urging of neighbor Ted Haas, along with childhood friends Jimmy Stoner and Gene Shaffer, joined the Glass Glaziers Union. Don worked as a journeyman glazier for many glass companies over the years, but was not content until he formed Imperial Glass Co. with Tom Valiant in 1978. He remained with Tom until 1985, when he established Glass Masters Inc. with partner Bryan Neel. Glass Masters was sold in 1988 to Safelite Corp. and Don retired at age 50, to enjoy his family, friends and his birds. As a young man, Don developed a keen interest in homing pigeons, with the help of his mentor Fred Weber. He enjoyed this hobby off and on throughout his life and these incredible birds brought him many hours of entertainment and joy along with some wonderful friendships.

Don was an extremely proud husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. His Christian faith and his family were his greatest and most treasured accomplishments.

He cherished his wife and children immensely and showered them daily with loving gestures and genuine interest in every aspect of their lives. He would rather spend time with them than anything else in the world. His daily phone calls from his son Don were the highlight of his day. They loved sharing their daily activities with each other and were more than father and son, but were best friends. Don was a loyal and true friend to many. He loved people and nurtured his friendships with true concern and frequent calls. He kept his friendships for a lifetime and was always there to help a friend in need whatever hour of the day or night. He treasured his Tuesday morning Bible Study and coffee sessions with his long time buddies. He had the rare ability to connect with people from all walks of life and share with them his story of how Jesus Christ had changed his life and made him into the incredible man he became.

He was a master negotiator and found it crucial to share his knowledge with those he loved. One of his most important purposes in life was to help others succeed and learn from his self-taught abilities of managing your money and investing in real estate. One of his favorite sayings was, "It is not how much you make, it is how much you save... because you can't spend yourself rich."

A special thank you to Hinds Hospice for their loving care, Nurse Joy, Dr. Yie, Sid and Mary Kay. You are all Angels on earth.

Don is preceded in death by his father Hal; his mother Helen; and brother Tom.

Don is survived by Laura, his adoring wife of 30 years; daughter, Kim Williams, of Chowchilla; son and daughter-in-law, Don and Carole Williams, of Fresno; bonus daughter, Maricela Murrieta, of Fresno; grandchildren, Katie Escoto of Henderson, Nv., Donnie and Michelle Williams, of Fresno, Doug Bosse, of Kauai; and great-grandsons, Eric Escoto and Derrick Bosse; cousin, Donna Harper of Mexico; and many nieces and nephews that he loved dearly.