Stephen Wayne Williams

1954 - 2023

Steve was born on December 7th, 1954 in El Paso, TX and passed away in El Paso, TX on August 7th, 2023 due to complications from a stroke. He was preceded in death by his father, Seth "Buddy" Williams, mother, Betty Williams, and sister, Carolyn Williams.

Steve is survived by his wife, Tammie Williams, of Waco; son, Ryan, and daughter-in-law, Dori Williams, of Waco with grandchildren, Aden, Ezra, Isla, Oren, Unna, Yael, and Anya; daughter, Julie, and son-in-law, Boone Pilkington, of Austin with grandchildren, Canyon, Soleil, and Zara; son, Trent, and daughter-in-law, Ally Williams, of Waco with grandson, Seth; and son, Cade Williams, of Waco. Steve was a loving and providing husband, father, and grandfather and was affectionately known to his grandchildren as "Poppy". He will be sorely missed by his family and many friends.

While we mourn our earthly loss, we rejoice in Steve's new eternal home. Steve had a firm foundation of faith built on the saving grace of Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior. We know where his hope was found!

One of Steve's core traits was that he loved to laugh and have fun and he also sought out adventure. He lived a remarkable life with more stories than could fit into a book. No idea was too silly or impractical, including a legendary 21 day road trip with his son, Cade, to 21 National Parks in the United States and Canada.

In Steve's earlier years, he had a propensity for having unusual and wild animal pets, including a black bear cub named "Benji". Steve and Benji would regularly share a meal in a fast-food drive-thru to the amazement of people around him. When Benji outgrew Steve's housing and ability to care, he donated the bear to the Alexandria Zoo in Louisiana and used the donation money to take up flying lessons fulfilling a lifelong fascination with aircraft, including planes and helicopters.

On the career side of life, after advancing through the ranks at Kroger, Steve felt a calling to shift industries and go into radio full-time, which he had a passion for since he was a young boy. He had a career in broadcasting that spanned five decades including stops at KHEY and KELP in El Paso, KPBC in Dallas, KDET in East Texas, and KBBW in Waco. Much of Steve's career was spent in Christian Radio, building up believing listeners in their faith and reaching new ears with the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. Over the years, Steve mentored many and would send them on with his blessing, always willing to help them succeed in whatever ways he could. The staff that stayed were incredibly loyal with an average tenure of more than 20 years.

Friends and family knew Steve, as a "regular guy" with unpretentious taste, one who would prefer a celebratory dinner at Whataburger over a fancy restaurant. Steve loved helping people with their basic needs, such as providing a stipend for clothing or shoes to homeless persons who crossed his path.

Steve was an incredibly thoughtful and generous person. It was not unusual for a package to show up on your porch unannounced, simply because he came across something that he thought you might like or need. Steve rarely went to Costco without coming home with something to give to someone else.

In a final gift of generosity, Steve donated his organs so that others would have another chance at living.

Steve was buried in the Crawford Cemetery on August 10th. Per Steve's wishes, no funeral or memorial service will be held.