David Williams

A resident of Kentwood, LA, David Williams passed away on the morning of Thursday, October 2nd at his home at 75 years of age. He was born October 20th, 1949 in Townshend, Vermont. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Rindy, his son Nathan, his brother Dennis Williams and wife Barbara, their children Ian, Taylor, and Jameson; sister-in-law Jane Williams and children Erin and Max, sister-in-law Patricia Williams and child Ryan, sister-in-law Cindy Landry and child Mikel Brown and her children Asia, Jayton and Stella. The family has chosen to grieve privately, thus no formal services will be held. Those wishing to gather in David's memory are welcome to do so. He would love to be the life of the party one last time. We wish to thank everyone for the outpouring of support that we have received. David was born and raised with his 3 brothers, many cousins and friends living a rural life in southern Vermont. Drafted into the Army in 1969, he served 2 years in Vietnam where he earned his National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and Vietnam Campaign Medals. David returned home in 1971, married Rindy in 1974, and they had their first and only child, Nathan, in 1978. Growing frustrated with a life of being snowed in every winter, David moved with his family from Vermont to Louisiana in 1985. After becoming settled in Louisiana and adjusting to a new way of life, David became an avid horseback rider and participated in many organized and not-so-organized trail rides throughout Louisiana and Mississippi, often attending the annual week-long Dixie Trail Ride, rain or shine, with his best friend Jerry Bennett. Many of his weekends were spent with his wife Rindy and son Nathan on horseback, exploring the wooded property surrounding their house in Kentwood, always on the hunt for new trails. David was well known and loved among his many friends, coworkers, and contractors and being the people person that he was, he loved everyone he met. He could be recognized from a mile away in his standard off-white "work" cowboy hat and his old blue and grey diesel pickup. An employee of the St. Helena Parish Hospital for over 30 years, he became a staple in the area and quickly began to develop many personal and professional relationships that stood the test of time. His expertise and innate knowledge in plumbing, electrical wiring, gas lines and machine repair, along with Master Plumber certification, guided him into his eventual position as head of maintenance, a demanding position that he was proud to hold until his retirement. David was a two times cancer survivor, beating both colon and prostate cancer within 5 years. While there were the expected ups and downs, after many trips among Kentwood, Hammond and New Orleans, David completed all of his surgeries and treatments with absolute courage and never once complained or allowed his ailments to affect his outlook on life. He kept his head up and did what he felt needed to be done to ensure he could be here as long as he could to provide for his family and worked up until the day he couldn't anymore. Anyone who knew David could tell you that his smile and laugh could light up the room. David was a charismatic and kind man. He always had a joke or a funny story on hand; making people laugh was a gift that he always gave freely, and he never asked anything in return. David was highly intelligent and could often figure people out before they even opened their mouths. Although rarely expressed out loud, those that knew him well knew that David was devoted to making sure his family was taken care of. The family wishes to thank everyone for your support and for being there for David throughout the years. He made many, many friends in his time at the St. Helena Parish Hospital and loved you all. McKneely Funeral Home, Kentwood, in charge of arrangements. For an online guestbook, visit http://www.mckneelys.com.