Floyd Kenneth Williams

The keys fell silent on Saturday, February 5, 2011 as Amateur Radio Operator Floyd Kenneth Williams (K5JOG) passed away at his home in Midland, Texas. He was born January 17, 193 in Hale Center, Texas to Floyd Rodney Williams and Eddy Flanigan Williams. After attending school in Corsicana, Texas he joined the United States Air force in 1949 and started his training at Lackland Air force base in San Antonio, Texas. Afterwards, he was assigned to Anderson Air Base on Guam.

He met and married Anna Lee Moffat in 1952 of Seminole, Texas, and started work of Southwestern Bell (SWB) Telephone Company in January of 1953. They were transferred to Alpine, Weatherford, and Breckinridge, where his daughter was born in September of 1953. In March of 1954, they moved to Quanah, Texas where he worked as Installer/Repairman for SWB and in August of 1956, they had a son. Later in 1957, they moved to Kermit, Texas where he worked as Step-by-Step Switchman until 1977. In 1976, he and his wife Anne bought a small track of land south of Midland and began clearing land in order to build their new home. Once the home was completed in 1977, they transferred with SWB where he started work as a PBX Repairman.

In June 1994, Floyd los his wife Anne after a year long struggle with ovarian cancer. Kenneth retired from Southwestern Bell in 1995, and started rebuilding a 1949 Chevrolet. He joined West Texas Cruisers and was very pleased when he won a few first place trophies with his car.

His lifelong passion was communication and strived to stay abreast of the latest communication devices. He was a member of the Telephone Pioneers, as well as a member of the Midland Amateur Radio Club and the American Radio League. He was instrumental in having the last Step-by-Step telephone office moved from Pyote, Texas to the Million Barrel Museum in Monahans, Texas.

Floyd was a fixture at a local restaurant where he shared coffee with his friends at the “liars table”. He is preceded in death by his parents, Floyd and Eddy Williams, his sister, Bobby Sue Williams, and his wife, Anna Lee Williams. He is survived by his daughter Leanna and spouse Michael Trost; son Kenneth Carrol and spouse Karla Williams; five grandchildren: Ken Preston and spouse Bethany Valencia, Heather Preston, Amber Preston, Brandi and spouse Kevin Frederick; Chandler Trost, three step-grandchildren, Jed, Chenei, Fate Sicard; his great grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.