Glen "Bud" Edward Williams

Some stories are timeless. Some teach you something. Some are for cheap laughs. Some are all three. Bud was good at all the above. It’s with great sadness we share that everyone’s favorite storyteller, Glen Edward “Bud” Williams passed away in his sleep at his home in Jones, OK on Thursday, May 4, 2023.

Bud was born March 27, 1937 in Prague, Oklahoma to Ernest and Lucille Ray Williams. He was the second of 7 children in the family and grew up in Paden at the family farm before moving to Midwest City, OK and graduating from Midwest City High School in 1955. Bud joined the US Army out of high school and served in the Special Forces as a Green Beret paratrooper and rising to the rank of Sergeant Major, the highest position obtainable for non-commissioned officers. After traveling the world serving his country he married the love of his life, Joann, in 1959 and they were happily married for over 63 years.

After retiring from the military, Bud worked for years as a commercial truck driver, but he is best known for his “second job” helping build and then running the little league baseball and softball fields in Jones with Joann for many decades. If you or your children played baseball or softball in Jones in the past 50 years…you knew Bud. He gave the gift of his favorite sport to multiple generations of kids and you could always find him dragging fields, emptying trash cans, fixing fences, or mowing grass. More importantly, you always knew you could interrupt him and get treated to a great story (that was somewhere between 5-75% factual) or a frequently re-told joke. He was a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan and finally saw them win it all in 2016 and his passion for baseball and his community was unmatched.

When not at the ballparks you could find Bud at Kiwanis lunches, Odd Fellows Association meetings, volunteering at the Jones cemetery, watching Jones High School sporting events, or acting as the de-facto “master of ceremonies” in his daily breakfast group at Shuff’s diner in Jones. His favorite pastime, however, was watching his own kids and grandkids play their sports of choice. He was happiest sitting in a lawn chair or in the bleachers at a ballpark, stadium, gym, pool, or golf course and telling anyone within shouting distance which kid or grandkid was his. He would drive hours to watch games, matches, meets, and even just practices. He loved watching us do what we love to do and would frequently remind us “You’re my horse even if you never win a race”.

Bud was one-of-a-kind. Anytime you told him you were coming to see him he would commit to “getting the band warmed up” for your arrival and would just as reliably tell you “the band got tired of waiting for you so they packed up and left” once you arrived. If you planned on meeting him somewhere he would tell you “I’ll be the one wearing the big pink ribbon so you know which one I am”. He was also famous for telling each of us he was our “favorite (insert very specific description here)” when he saw us…examples being “You’re my favorite 5-year-old granddaughter” or “You’re my favorite youngest grandson”. And he would always end any visit or conversation with “I’m glad you got to see me!”

Bud is survived by his wife Dorothy “Joann” Williams, also of Jones as well as his three children and their families: oldest son David (& Carol) Williams of Jones, granddaughter Julie Arnold and great-grandsons Dylan and Dalton Arnold of Bainbridge, IN; middle son Doug (& Kerry) Williams of Harrah, OK, grandson Eric (& Kayla) Williams and great-grandchildren Brooklyn, Avery and Easton Williams of Owasso, OK, grandson Tyler (& Amber) Williams and great-granddaughters Ellette and Amelia Williams of Warr Acres, OK, and grandson Patrick (& Breanna) Williams and great-grandson Riggins Williams of Midwest City, OK; and daughter Donna Bunyard of Harrah, grandson Riley (& Jayme) Bunyard and great-grandson Brooks Bunyard of Denver, CO and granddaughter Madison Bunyard of Harrah. Bud is preceded in death by his parents, his older sister Billie Chamberlain and his grandson Michael David Arnold.

The world is a little less joyful without you, Bud, but thanks for everything and rest well on a life well lived. We will see you again soon. You’ll always be our horse even if you never win a race and we’re glad you got to see us!

A visitation for Glen will be held Monday, May 8, 2023, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Bill Eisenhour Funeral Home, 8805 NE 23rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73141. A funeral service will occur Tuesday, May 9, 2023, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Bill Eisenhour Funeral Home.

Glen will be laid to rest in Jones IOOF Cemetery, Jones, OK.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.eisenhourfuneralhome.com for the Williams family.