ROBERT L. WILLIAMS's Obituary
"Robert Lee Williams was born of Ethel Cleopatra Campbell and Gordon Lee Williams in Denver, Colorado. He was raised in California, Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio, Brazil (Rio and Sao Paulo for 8 years), and Illinois. He served two years as a squadron leader in the Naval Cadet Flight Program flying on and off aircraft carriers. He flew with Braniff Airlines to South America for over 30 years. He held the International Navigation Ratings for the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and was utilized by Braniff to oversee their new captains' training. He volunteered to relieve a crew on the longest hijacking on record at that time (from Monterrey, Mexico through Rio ending in Argentina). At the height of his career, he was the second highest paid copilot in the entire ALPA (Airline Pilot's Association).
He has been industrious all of his life. In high school, during the winter months, he delivered newspapers at 3 am to the paper boys. In the summer months, he managed his own landscaping business, and eventually, he was hired by the Downers Grove High School to be the head maintenance person. Robert was making more money at his landscaping business than his father... and his father, Gordon, was a hydroelectric engineer building dams! He was married 57 years to Charlene Van Wie and raised three children: Theresa (married to David Peale with a daughter Emma), Ginger (married to David DeMoss with three children: Christian, Alaina, and Cody), and Tim (married to Tina Wood). He was a loving, generous person and will be sorely missed. He is survived by his wife, three children, four grandchildren, two sisters: Sarah Finnell (spouse, Toby Allen Finnell, and their three children: Chris, Jeff, and Roger Finnell) and MaryLou Thomas (spouse, Rev. Charles Thomas and their two children: Laura Kay Rumfeld and John Thomas). He has many nephews and nieces, grandnephews, grandnieces, and cousins."
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