Ellery Williams

1926 - 2017

Ellery Williams
March 20, 1926 - March 7, 2017
Resident of Los Altos
Ellery passed away in his home in Los Altos surrounded by his loving family. Born in St. Louis, MO, he and his parents, Kathryn and Harvey, younger brother, Dick, and his grandfather moved to Pasadena, CA when Ellery was 16 years old. He was a great athlete and competitor playing baseball and football in High School where he won many awards. After graduation, he joined the Army Air Corps where he hoped to become a pilot. However, the war ended before he was able to attain that goal. He returned to Pasadena to attend Muir Jr. College. After a semester, he was offered a scholarship to Santa Clara University where he became an outstanding football player and again won many awards. He was part of that great 1950 Orange Bowl team that beat Kentucky.
1950 was a very good year. After graduation, he married his sweetheart, Joan. He was drafted by the S.F. 49ers but played for the New York Giants for a year in their successful season. Ellery and Joan moved to Palo Alto where he immediately was offered a position in the building industry. Ellery went on to eventually have his own window, glass and mirror companies. Meanwhile, he continued his sports playing softball for many years as well as swimming, skiing, tennis, golf and later bocce ball well into his 80's. They moved to Los Altos in 1955 and later had two children, Michael and Janice. As the children grew older, he coached their Little League teams and Girls softball teams. Ellery could build or fix anything, which he did around the house, church and other places where he was helpful. He loved music and singing as well as fishing and camping which we did as a family. Ellery later had a very successful real estate career. He also took up painting and found his talent in watercolors. After he retired, he and Joan traveled extensively on almost every continent, whether by ship, plane, rail, or camper.
Ellery is in the University of Santa Clara's Athletic Hall of Fame and also in the Pasadena Court of Champions.
Ellery was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, father-in-law, uncle, and friend. We shall all miss him and his great sense of humor.
Funeral services will be at St. Simon Church in Los Altos on Tuesday, March 14 at 11:00 a.m. Interment will be at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Los Altos.


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