Donn Paul Williams

The Reverend Doctor Donn Paul Williams passed away on June 3, 2018 in Houston, Texas. A service to celebrate his life and send praises to God will be held on June 6, 2018 at 3:00 p.m.at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Houston.
Donn was born to Richard and Dorothy Williams on July 2, 1955 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and resided there throughout his childhood. He had one younger sister, Heidi Tupper. Donn's love for Jesus began at a very young age. At the age of six he declared he would become a pastor and share Jesus with everyone. His parents encouraged and nurtured his faith throughout his childhood and in to his adult life.
On December 27, 1980, Donn would say a miracle happened when he married Michele Haubein, whom he met in Fullerton California while serving as a Vicar at Stephens Lutheran. Their ministry together took them to California, North Dakota, Kansas, Wisconsin, and Texas.
Donn graduated from Concordia Teachers College in 1977. He received his Master of Divinity in 1981 and his Doctor of Ministry in 2007 both from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri. He served as a parish pastor for six congregations; St. Mark in Minot, North Dakota, Trinity in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, Immanuel in Canton, Kansas, St. John's in Moundridge, Kansas, Bethany in Houston, Texas, and Gethsemane in Houston, Texas. He moved on to teach theology at Lutheran High North in Houston, Texas.
Donn used humor and his love for Jesus to teach how God is a part of each student's personal life and how they could use their own experiences to share Jesus with others. He finally found a way to combine his love of God with his love for technology by teaching online courses for five Concordia Universities; Texas, Nebraska, Oregon, Wisconsin, and New York. Even with this unique platform he cared for each one of his students and stressed as often as he could the importance of laughing.
Donn was NOT a soft-spoken man, which is no surprise to those who met him. He always had a story to tell or a corny joke to deliver. His mission was to bring a smile to the face of everyone that crossed his path, whether that person was family, a friend, or a stranger who wandered into range. His faith and humor went hand in hand to create a personality that will never be forgotten.
He was an avid collector of movies, an excellent singer, especially during Christmas Eve Service, and an audiophile of all genres. He has now moved in with Jesus and assumes Jesus has heard none of his jokes. Jesus is in for an adventure!
Donn is survived by his son, Josiah David and wife Emily and their two children, Vada Michele and Wylie Ray; his son, Christopher Paul and wife Elizabeth; his son, Jonathan Peter; his son, Benjamin Daniel; and his sister, Heidi Tupper and her husband Steve. He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Dorothy Williams. We will miss Donn everyday but his love for Jesus will continue through his family and friends and through each person he touched with his words.
Lessons from Donn:
Always be joyful. Study the Bible. Never stop praying. Be thankful. Sit in the big chair and don't ever give it up. Don't be afraid to deliver the punchline, and if the punchline falls flat, keep telling jokes until someone laughs. Even if you get horribly seasick, still take your children fishing. Love your spouse. Love your family. Love the family of God, and above all Love Jesus.
The family requests that any donations in Donn's name be sent to the education department at Concordia University Nebraska, http://www.cune.edu/giving/ or Concordia University Texas, https://www.concordia.edu/giving/