Mac Dean Williams

Mac Dean Williams, age 83, of Bath, passed away on March 19, 2026, with both of his children holding his hands. He was born on September 12, 1942, in Middleton, MI, to Reva Jane (Woodward) Williams and Paul D. Williams. He attended Fulton Schools (K-12) and graduated in 1961. At 5’10”, he was all conference in football for both offense and defense and was awarded a full football scholarship to Ferris State College where he earned a degree in Automotive Service.

He started his automotive career at Story Olds in Lansing in March 1963 as a Mechanic and Service Writer. He met his future wife, Cheryl Delaney, at a nearby restaurant, Wagner’s, where she was a waitress. He was a proud Veteran and served in the Army after he was drafted in July 1964. He attended basic training in Fort Knox in Kentucky, then was placed in Fort Devens in Massachusetts, and was later stationed in Hanau, Germany, where he miraculously served with his lifetime dear friend, Max, who was from his hometown.

His mechanical skills were useful in maintaining mobile equipment including tanks, 6x6s, and Jeeps. He was honorably discharged from the Army in June 1966 and returned to Lansing and started dating the beautiful waitress, Cheryl, he had first met 2 years prior who later became his wife. He resumed his job at Story Olds until January 1974 and then embarked on a successful 32-year career at General Motors in Skilled Trades as a Mechanic and an Inspector in Experimental Engineering, retiring in May 2006.

Above all else, Mac cherished Cheryl, whom he called the perfect wife. They enjoyed 57 years of marriage together and he was completely devoted to her, would do anything to protect her, and had missed every moment without her since her passing in November 2024.

Mac always had a smile on his face, was quick-witted, generous, full of strength, ambitious, and kindhearted. He was highly intelligent and a gifted mechanic, but his skills stretched far beyond fixing vehicles. He could build anything, fix anything, and learn anything, including electrical work, carpentry, masonry, and plumbing. His son coined him ‘the original MacGyver’.

He was a hard worker, driven, fully committed to anything he did, and he always kept his word no matter the obstacles. He was always prepared for the future and always had a solid well thought out plan in place. He would show up to help anyone in need, especially his children, at any time of the day, at least 15 minutes early (or he considered himself late), with a truck full of tools, an extensive checklist, and ready to work.

He dearly loved his children and expected the same work ethic, diligence, and planning from them in all things, as he wanted them to be prepared for life’s challenges, to be successful, and to be strong like he was. His praise was hard earned, which made it especially meaningful once achieved. He was incredibly proud of his children and their accomplishments and loved spending time with them and their spouses. Working beside him, his son learned to love cars and Mac was especially proud of his son’s engineering degrees and impressive career at General Motors. Mac taught his daughter equality, as he expected the same grit in her that he possessed, which taught her to rely on her resilience and strength to conquer anything.

He enjoyed the simple things in life and believed that family should do everything together. Mac, his wife, and their 2 children, did all things as an efficient 4-person team in work and in leisure while the children were growing up, whether it be family cooking, cleaning, working on vehicles, gardening, cutting and stacking wood, canning, mowing, camping, canoeing, or fishing. He enjoyed traveling with his wife on her annual business trips. Some of their adventures included trips to Colorado, California, Texas, Mexico, and Hawaii.

There was never a prouder grandfather than Mac, and his grandsons adored him. He helped pass along his intelligence and hard work ethic to them. He loved them dearly, lit up while spending time with them, attended their activities, and supported and encouraged them in all their endeavors. He enjoyed taking them on outings, such as to the waterpark, tractor shows, and fairs.

He shared many amusing stories of growing up on his family’s farm and had fond and loving memories of his five siblings, family, and friends. He valued all family, including his brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, and his many nieces and nephews, and it was his desire to always help others feel welcome, included, and well fed.

Mac was a powerhouse of strength; physically, emotionally, and in faith. He was at peace with his passing and his wish was for others to be at peace with it too and to be happy for him in the successful execution of God’s final plan for him of spending eternity with his beloved wife.

Mac is survived by his son, Dan (Amanda Keener) Williams; daughter, Anne (Raymond) Scheib; grandchildren, Benjamin and Colin Scheib; his siblings Arthur (Beverly) Williams, Connie (Bob) Bolyard; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Mary Williams, Donald Delaney, Douglas (Linda) Delaney, Dennis (Patricia) Delaney, and Suzanne Price; dozens of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews; and many other loving family members and friends.

Preceding Mac in death are his wife, Cheryl (Delaney) Williams; parents, Paul and Reva Williams; siblings, Gene “Jack” (JoAnn) Williams, Larry (Penny) Williams, Mike Williams; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Earl and Charlotte Delaney; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Fr. Lawrence Delaney, Frances Schnepp, Charles (Harriet) Delaney, Phyllis (Thomas) Rodebaugh, Margaret Delaney, Carl Price, and Mary Ellen Delaney; niece, Leah Rodebaugh; nephew, Joseph Delaney.

The mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am on Friday, April 10, 2026, at St. Therese Parish, 102 W. Randolph St, Lansing, MI, with a visitation starting one hour prior, at 10:00 am. A luncheon will be held at the church after the mass. The Rite of Committal and a Military Salute will follow at 2:00 pm at the mausoleum at St. Joseph Cemetery, 2520 W. Willow Street, Lansing, MI.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Mac’s name be made to St. Therese Parish.