Dr. Robert Evan Williams

Dr. Robert Evan Williams (Bob) was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 18, 1938, to Guy Holland Williams, Jr., and Edna Schnabel Williams. After a brave 3-1/2 year battle with Stage 4 lung cancer, Bob passed away on February 9, 2019, at the age of 80.

Bob was raised in Aurora, Ohio, where he attended Aurora High School and graduated in 1956. He graduated in 1960 from Allegheny College with a BA in Psychology. Bob earned a Masters degree at Iowa State in 1963 in Experimental Psychology and an EdD at the University of Georgia in 1965 in Educational Psychology and Counseling.

In 1968, Bob joined the faculty at the University of Houston in the College of Education where he taught many graduate students and trained many Educational Diagnosticians over his 35-year career. He held positions as a tenured faculty member, Full Professor, Department Chair, and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies for the College. Bob traveled internationally with UH colleagues teaching classes in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Germany, Zambia, and Malaysia. Bob received various awards and recognitions while at UH and retired in 2004 as an Emeritus Faculty member. Prior to moving to Houston, Bob spent three years as an Assistant Professor helping to establish the College of Education at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. Bob Williams will be remembered for his kindness, wit and humor, contributions to the University of Houston and his community, love of the outdoors, and dedication to his family.

Bob married his college sweetheart Virginia Hess (Jennie) in 1962. They celebrated 56 years of marriage in August 2018 and have two children, David Evan Williams and Ann Williams Howell. Bob’s family shared in his love of camping and fishing; they tent camped and fished in Texas for many years. Bob’s grandchildren became the third generation to camp and fish with Grandpa Bob.

Bob’s love for the outdoors began early in life. The men and boys in his family made annual trips to Twin Oaks Lodge in Northern Ontario for Memorial week fishing. As a teen, he spent several summers at Camp North Woods YMCA on Lake Temagami in Northern Ontario, canoeing and portaging with two life-long Aurora friends. In 1999, the three friends replicated their Lake Temagami experience by canoeing and portaging on the same lakes. After retirement, Bob and Jennie traveled the U.S. and Canada for 13 years (including a visit to Temagami) in the Arctic Fox travel trailer pulled by their big white truck.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Virginia Williams; son, David Williams; daughter and son-in-law, Ann and Timothy Howell; two grandsons, Benjamin and Robert Howell; his brother Guy H. Williams III (Doris); his sister, Patricia Clouse (Richard); three nephews, Scott (Ro), Jeff (Cindy), and Mark Williams; and one grandnephew, Zachary Williams. He also leaves behind lifelong friends, students, colleagues, and members of the Mucky Duck group.

The family wishes to thank Erica Ogedengbe and Ara Holliday, Bob’s caregivers for several months; and Vitas Hospice, especially nurse Debbie. In lieu of flowers, any memorial gifts you wish to make may be sent to Reach Unlimited, Inc., 11832 Mueller Cemetery Road, Cyress, TX 77249, www.reachunlimited.org; or the Epilepsy Foundation, 8301 Professional Place East, Suite 200, Landover, MD 20785; or to a charity of your choice.

A Celebration of Life was held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, 2019, at Waltrip Funeral Directors in Houston, Texas.