Stephen Roger Williams

Stephen Roger Williams passed away on January 4, 2026 at the age of 94 in Cary, North Carolina. Steve was born on August 18, 1931, in Powell, Wyoming to Roger and Minnie Williams. He grew up on a farm at the base of Heart Mountain, where he worked diligently to help his family earn a living, while also taking advantage of Yellowstone and the surrounding wilderness for adventures.

From herding cattle and pulling weeds as a young child to milking cows, plowing, and stacking hay as a teenager, he learned the value of hard work early. At age 15, he helped his Dad build their family home on the 120 acre farm halfway between Powell and Cody, introducing electricity and indoor plumbing to the farm.

During the Second World War, a Japanese Internment Camp was established adjacent to the family farm. Steve enjoyed fishing and sports with camp internees. A large team from the camp also helped the family save a beet harvest when it was threatened by a Wyoming early hard freeze.

When not occupied on the farm, Steve could be found hunting for arrowheads and fossils in the McCullough Peaks, fishing on Yellowstone Lake, or attending the rodeo in Cody.

The hard work and harsh environment of Steve’s early years during the Great Depression instilled self sufficiency, persistence, and optimism that showed throughout his life.

In 1951, Steve was drafted into the US Army to serve in the Korean War where he was trained as a cryptographer in the Signal Corps, ultimately serving near the front lines in Chuncheon with the Korean Military Advisory Group (KMAG).

Steve maintained a passion for learning throughout his life, earning his BS and MS in Economics from the University of Wyoming and later completing advanced graduate studies in Statistics and Mathematics at Iowa State, George Washington University, the University of Florida, and the University of Alabama Birmingham.

Steve’s professional career spanned several decades and states, beginning with the USDA’s Statistical Reporting Service in Wyoming, California, Washington, DC and Florida. Steve and his family subsequently moved to Birmingham, Alabama where he worked at Southern Research Institute before finding his longtime home in Cary, North Carolina.

In addition to finding fulfilling work as a Survey Sampling Statistician at Research Triangle Institute (RTI), Steve formed lasting friendships with colleagues, enjoying many years of Friday night poker and golf tournaments. Later in life, he was a consultant for Mathematica Policy Research and various state governments.

Steve and his wife Sandi loved hosting family and friends at their beach cottage at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. It was the perfect spot for Steve to continue his love of fishing and share the passion with those he loved. The cottage kitchen is where Steve often enjoyed cooking his famous beer pancakes or enchiladas and especially appreciated when he was assisted by grandchildren.

The outdoorsman in Steve never subsided. Throughout his life, Steve never missed an opportunity for a picnic, a hike, or a strawberry-picking excursion. Twice during his eighties, Steve served as tour guide to share with his family the wonders of Yellowstone and the Wyoming of his youth.

Steve was an avid Wolfpack fan, storming the brickyard in 1982 after the classic Jimmy V National Championship and making his way to Hillsborough Street in 2024 at the age of 92 when the Wolfpack made it to the Final Four. It was rare for Steve and Sandi to miss a game - whether this meant tailgating, being present courtside with friends, or watching together at home.

Steve is survived by his beloved wife and soul mate, Sandi, with whom he shared nearly 60 years of marriage. He leaves behind a large and loving family, including his children Steve (children Andrew, Jon, Scott, and Kari), Gloria, Jolene (spouse Scott and children Crystal and Ryan), Barbara, Michele (spouse Kathy and daughter Ashley), and Pam (spouse Steve and children Lauren, Allie, and Caroline); nephew Johnny Williams; and many great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother and sister-in-law, John and Linda Williams.

His family remembers him as a funny, kind, and quietly strong person who would drop everything to show up for those he loved.

A celebration of Steve’s life will be held Tuesday January 13th, 2026 at Cary Presbyterian Church, 614 Griffis Street at 1:00pm with viewing time from 12:30-1:00.

Memorial tributes and messages of sympathy can be left by clicking the "Add a Memory" box below. Brown Wynne of Cary is honored to serve the Williams family.