Charles Franklin Williams

Charles Franklin Williams, known as Chuck, was born on July 12, 1942, to Katherine and Sherril Williams. Much of his childhood was spent on the move across the Midwest and South, with stretches in Michigan, Montana, Oklahoma, and Texas, following his father’s work. He eventually put down roots in Texas, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts from Sam Houston State University.

After college, Chuck answered a call to service, joining the Peace Corps and volunteering in Afghanistan for two years. Upon returning to the United States, he spent time in Austin, Texas, before making his way to Seattle, Washington, the city he would call home for the rest of his life. There he built a career as a registered nurse in the ICU at Swedish Medical Center in Ballard, a role that spoke to the same care for others that defined everything he did.

Seattle is also where Chuck welcomed his two children, Eric and Alex, with their mother Jan. He was, to those who knew him, utterly and unapologetically himself, stylish, outgoing, and artistic. Though tall in stature, the gentleness and warmth he extended to everyone around him made him instantly approachable.

Chuck’s greatest pleasures were painting, writing, and traveling, with a particular love for Mexico that ran deep. He captured Mexican landscapes and the rhythms of everyday life on canvas, and channeled his adventures into novels. He had a sharp eye for beauty in unexpected places, a quality that also drove his lifelong passion for thrifting, always on the hunt for small treasures to add character to his home. Music, baseball, fishing, and tending his garden filled his days with equal joy.

Chuck was preceded in death by his mother, Katherine Williams; his father, Sherril Williams; his stepmother, Viola Williams; and his beloved dog Max, who was his constant companion for many years. He is survived by his son Eric and daughter Alex; his sister Jorma Brown and her husband Reggie Brown; and his nieces and nephews Bianca, Corinna, Sarah, Dwayne, and Gage.