Gary Dale Williams

Published 11:59 am Thursday, July 3, 2025

After a long fight, Gary Dale Williams, longtime resident of West Second Street, Washington, has been made whole again, going to be with his maker on Saturday, June 28, 2025.

Gary was born on September 8, 1941, to Estelle Campbell And Horace Edward Williams of Acre Station, NC. The third of four sons, Russell (deceased), Von, of Monterrey, Mexico, and Gene (deceased), Gary’s early life was spent working the family’s farm and completing his high school education at Pantego High School in 1959.

In 1965, he scored the catch of a lifetime, marrying Frances Warren Williams, of Old Ford, who preceded him in death in 2011. His love for her was expressed from buckets of daffodils and peonies to caring for her in the last days of her life.  Together, they had two daughters, Lisa Williams Baker and Mary Frances Wilkinson (both of Washington) and began a long life in the “big house” on West Second Street.

During his life, Gary worked every job you could think of from riding horses to round up cattle to selling and repairing cars, and then finally becoming a Safety Trainer for CMF, Inc, of Aurora.  Throughout his long career he made many friends and was known for his great stories, never failing to have one for any situation.

Gary’s past times were many, from fishing to gardening, but his most favorite was riding and “peeping” at things. If you went for a ride with him, you could expect to be gone for a day, to hear stories about everyone who lived along the way, and without fail end up somewhere with good food. He knew who owned what farms, what they were growing, and the lineage of the families. If he met a stranger, they weren’t one for long. He would ask their names and either go through their family tree with them or deduce that they were cousins somewhere down the line.

In the middle of Washington’s historic district, Gary was able to go back to his roots where he grew a large garden each year until he couldn’t manage one that size. After that he turned to his porch and his front yard where he continued to grow tomatoes and eggplants, zinnias and potatoes that he shared with anyone who would take some. His yard was a wild mixture of it all, a perfect mirror of who Gary was.

Gary’s pride at being the father of his two girls was matched by the love he had for his four grandsons, Hunter Reed Bennett (Amanda Morrison), (Joseph) Riley Callahan (Taryn Ballard), Colin Dale Callahan, and Raylan Bruce Wilkinson. He saw in each of these boys a part of himself and loved them all.

Along with his daughters and grandsons, Gary is survived by his sons-in-law, Brent Baker, Keenan Wilkinson, and Neil Callahan, his brother Von, and many friends. With his wife, parents, and brothers, Gary is preceded in death by one son-in-law, (Charles) Reed Bennett, whom he loved dearly

A funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday, July 5, 2025, in the Chapel of Paul Funeral Home & Crematory of Washington with Lisa Baker and Mary Wilkinson officiating. Burial will follow in  Oakdale Cemetery.

The family will receive friends following the service with a reception at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, please take time to be with your family and buy them flowers or take them out for something good to eat in Gary’s memory.

Paul Funeral Home & Crematory of Washington is honored to serve the Williams family.