James Milton Williams

James "Jim" Williams, 79, passed away peacefully in his sleep on May 23, 2013 at his home in Roseville, CA.
He was born to the late Hannah Kerr Moss and Milton Emerson Williams on February 27, 1934 in Renton, WA. He graduated from Renton High School in 1952, married his high school sweetheart and had three children. He then enlisted in the U.S Army where he served as a radio operator in Korea from 1953 - 1956. After his service in the military, with his degree in electrical engineering, he began a career in telecommunications that would take him to over 50 countries where he lived and worked.

Jim was highly respected in the international telecommunications community and his unique engineering and troubleshooting skills were in demand all over the world. He began his telecommunications career in 1957 in Alaska on the White Alice Project, the largest intergraded communications system ever built for the US military. Jim went on to work throughout Europe on telecommunication projects that provided all the long distance communications in the Mediterranean, as well as working on the US Army project for communications in the new European Command Center.

When Jim was not working he could be found racing throughout Europe on the Formula 3 tracks or in his personal sports cars. He won several prestigious races and crashed a fair share of amazing cars.

Jim's expertise was needed next in Iran in 1970, to oversee the installation and operation of the Iranian National Telecommunication System. While working in Iran, Jim met his current wife Mitra, with whom he had two more children. Soon thereafter, they left Iran together in 1979, heading back to the States.

After completing a project in Alaska with Sohio Oil, Jim was sent down to Columbia to manage a complex telecommunications system for Exxon and Cerrejon Coal Mines. Jim's reputation took him to other projects throughout Asia and the former Soviet Union. After he retired in California, Jim continued to consult on various international and domestic communication systems. He also enjoyed spending his free time maintaining his 1964 Ford Mustang and traveling with his family.

Jim is survived by his wife Mitra Williams, and five daughters: Debbie Morfeld, Kim Trotter, Terry Spellane, Michelle Williams, and Mellena Colvin. He is also survived by 8 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
Memorial services will be held on Saturday, June 1, 2013 at 12pm.

Mount Vernon Memorial Park
The Church of the Valley
8201 Greenback Lane
Fair Oaks, CA 95628