R. Michael Williams M.D., Ph.D.

Neil Blumberg MD

I knew Mike when we were Timothy Dwight undergraduates from 1968-70 (Mike was finishing his masters). We were introduced by Howard Ozer (d. 2018), one of his close friends, also in TD. We interacted over meals (Mike lived off campus) and through the Yale Scientific, which was led by Mike and Howard during 1968-69. Mike provided me mentorship, friendship, advice, encouragement and, when he was a Harvard first year MD student, a place to sleep when I interviewed there. Mike was very much the person described by his family, and it is moving to read the testimonials from his patients on the obituary site. Mike was very much ahead of his time in so many ways. He identified the new Univ. California San Diego Medical School as one that was going to be a fabulous one before it even opened. He realized the immune system was going to be the key player in cancer therapeutics at a time when such opinions were widely ridiculed. I am deeply pleased he lived to see his ideas reach fruition in the last decade or so.

Hail and Farewell Mike. You will be missed.

I knew Mike when we were Timothy Dwight undergraduates from 1968-70 (Mike was finishing his masters). We were introduced by Howard Ozer (d. 2018), one of his close friends, also in TD. We interacted over meals (Mike lived off campus) and through the Yale Scientific, which was led by Mike and Howard during 1968-69. Mike provided me mentorship, friendship, advice, encouragement and, when he was a Harvard first year MD student, a place to sleep when I interviewed there. Mike was very much the person described by his family, and it is moving to read the testimonials from his patients on the obituary site. Mike was very much ahead of his time in so many ways. He identified the new Univ. California San Diego Medical School as one that was going to be a fabulous one before it even opened. He realized the immune system was going to be the key player in cancer therapeutics at a time when such opinions were widely ridiculed. I am deeply pleased he lived to see his ideas reach fruition in the last decade or so.

For me this is personally rather sobering as both of my mentors from Yale are now gone. For Mike's and my tributes to Howard Ozer look here:

https://www.yalealumnimagazine.com/obituaries/4307-howard-ozer-69-75phd-75md

For tributes to Mike as a caring, innovative physician read here:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/r--michael-williams-m-d---ph-d--obituary?pid=207322280

Hail and Farewell Mike. You will be missed.

Sad to learn the news. Dr. Williams was certainly one of the most talented and accomplished individuals I had the privilege of coming across. He was always cordial to and complimentary of me. I have known him since the Scenic General Hospital days (later known as the Stanislaus Heath Agency). Will miss his positive attitude and that big friendly smile.

Saddened to hear about DR. Williams. He was very kind & caring person. He, his wife & staff were always friendly, they are people I'll never forget. I know his patients loved him. Hugs & condolences to Dr. Williams family

I am shocked to learn the passing of our beloved Dr. Williams. He was a brilliant doctor, a miracle performer, a trusted friend, a gifted healer, dedicated to his patients, loyal and a compassionate human being. My father had stage IV lung cancer and everyone told us that there is no hope. Our family was falling apart with the news. A family friend told us to go to Dr. Williams and it was the best decision we ever made. He explained in detailed how cancer works, the protocol for treatment, why he believed there is hope, and he did it all with good sense of humor and a smile. My father and our family fell in love with him that day. He put my father in remission and now he is suddenly taken away from us. We are devastated by the loss of this incredible doctor. Our deepest sympathies to Ellen and his family.

I am so devastated by the sudden passing of Dr. Williams. He was not only a gifted healer, he was also a friend you can always count on in time of need. When everyone turns their back on you, he is always there to help and lift you up. When all the doctors give up on you, he is there to fight for you and give you hope. He always says, "there is no false hope, but there is false no hope". He is right, I was told that there is no hope for me except to go to hospice. I went to him and 8 years later with Stage IV cancer, I am alive and well. I love and miss you Dr. Williams. You are irreplaceable and I am heartbroken.

Dr. Williams is not just a brilliant oncologist to us.. My mom came with stage 4 MBC and he gave her hope and make her feel alive and ready to fight the world. His staff and Ms. Ellen treats everyone with respect and love and truly invest in the health of all the patients.. For them they are not patients but family. I am at a loss for words and my mom who loves him dearly is taking it hard right now.. She came back from her yearly trip to be told her beloved doctor /friend/healer is gone.. She is in mourning and not taking it well.
WE LOVE YOU DR. WILLIAMS AND THE STAFFS. You are everything for us.. A ray of light and God's healer. You will be miss so much.

I am utterly shocked and in disbelief to learn the passing of our beloved Dr. Williams. He was a gifted brilliant doctor, yet so humble and treated people with respect. He fought hard to keep me alive. Even when other doctors and my family gave up on me, he refused to give up on me. Without my beloved oncologist, I wouldn´t be here. He was my doctor, my confidant, my advisor, my friend. I would have given my life for him. His smile, his jokes, everything about him was special and beautiful.

I am deeply saddened to hear the sudden passing of Dr. Williams. My heart is bleeding from sadness, my head is exploding from disappointment. This is hard to accept because he was everything and more to me. He was the first to alert his patients if there were issues other than cancer. He saved my life and I would have done anything to save his. He orders labs to check the immune system, most doctors don´t even know let alone understand it. He understood cancer and the immune system very well and how to keep his patients alive and well. He always took the burden of worrying about his patients. He was a brilliant oncologist and a decent human being. I will miss him forever.

I am shocked and heartbroken by the sudden loss of our beloved and brilliant oncologist, Dr. Williams. I was looking forward to see him this week as I always do only to get a call from his office to get the shocking news. I still do not believe the news is true. I am hoping to get a call he is back. He was so smart that he would figure out things lightening fast when other doctors takes them weeks or months. He fought hard to save my life and now he is gone. He was a great and caring doctor, and a beautiful human being inside and out, always ready to help his patients. This is so upsetting.

I am devastated by the sudden loss of our brilliant Dr. Williams. He was the only doctor I trusted and the only doctor who sincerely cared about his patients and even his patients family members. He was the best oncologist and a trusted friend. He saved my life against all odds. He always encouraged me to do better in life. I just cannot believe that he is suddenly gone. This is a huge loss. I am at a loss for words over this heartbreaking news. Shocked is an understatement. I am going to miss his guidance, his smile, his jokes, his LV shoes, his beautiful suits and ties, everything about him was so special, so brilliant and a beautiful soul.

He cared so deeply about not only what's going on inside me but what I was going through I truely Love him,I always told him that too. I Love You Doc!

The Beloved Dr. Williams - I am shocked to hear this sad news. You were the Shepherd to all of us - your patients. Smart, kind, beautiful soul, generous, respectful and always ready to listen and help. What are we going to do without you? We were one big family and our patriarch is suddenly taken away from us, our family and hearts are fractured forever. I am at a loss for words over this sad tragedy. My deepest condolences to Ellen and his family.

My Dearest Doc Mike - you saved my life three times and you are suddenly gone. It was my turn to protect you but I didn´t. I wish I was there with you. I am heartbroken by this devastating news. This ugly news of your departure from your patients came out of nowhere, unexpected, upsetting news. I am speechless and deeply saddened. You were a man of high intellect, class and dignity. You are irreplaceable. You have always been there for your patients. We will never forget you. What a shocking news.

He cared so deeply about not only what's going on inside me but what I was going through I truely Love him,I always told him that too. I Love You Doc!

I am at a loss for words by the sudden death of our beloved Dr. Williams. I am speechless and heartbroken. Nobody can fill his shoes. He was an exemplary man, his class and decency, and the smartest oncologist and doctor period. Although well educated and high upper class, he treated everyone with the utmost respect regardless of socioeconomic class. He highly valued his patients, he is always there to help when patients are in a bind, he would even alert us if we have heart issues, cholesterol or diabetes or kidney etc. then he would follow up to be sure our issues other than cancer are addressed by our respective primary doctors. If not, he would send out the referral himself to the specialists he felt were excellent. He was a fantastic doctor and a pure good human being. Dr. Williams is irreplaceable. I cannot believe he is gone. This is such an upsetting news. I will be thankful forever for keeping me alive.

I am deeply saddened and heartbroken by the sudden loss of our Dear Dr. Williams. I wouldn´t be here without him, he would not give up on me even when I lost faith. He was a gifted intellectual, first-rate oncologist who always was compassionate and caring to his patients, and a very generous human being. He truly and sincerely cared about his patients. In 10 years of being his patient, he never collected my copay or deductible. He was all about patient care. He always helped in time of need. His distinct voice and special greetings, his smile, his jokes, his lessons about the immune system. He was so special and dear to us. Our family sends our deepest heartfelt condolences to Ellen and his family.

I am stunned and shocked to learn the death of my wonderful oncologist, Dr. Williams. So sudden so soon! I am speechless by what was done to him. He was a highly gifted genius, yet so kind, gentle, sincere and humble. He talked to his patients like human beings with respect instead of talking down like most do. Not only that he kept us alive, but he was always ready to help his patients in time of need. You can count on Dr. Williams to help always. He trained his staff so well to meet his high standards and his staff were great. Despite the fact that he has a very busy office, never once was I asked my DOB. The staff were trained to know all of us by voice. We were one big happy family. Now that he is gone, our family is broken forever. I am so heartbroken. Rest in peace my beautiful soul, my Guardian Angel.

I am heartbroken by the sudden death of our brilliant, beloved and beautiful soul Dr. Williams. He was a man of class with unmatched high moral values and highly intelligent. I saw him on 7/16/24 and he was gone on 7/18/24. I don´t even think it´s real. He looked great when I saw him last, he was joking, we laughed, as always after we finish discussing cancer or results, he would always ask with a smile, "is there anything I can to help?" He was always ready to help his patients in whatever way he can, he was a mentor to his patients children, he was always on top of his craft, I am so devastated. I am going to miss this great doctor and beautiful soul. What a tragic loss and devastating news.

My family and I are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of our hero Dr. Williams. He has had a major impact on my life and my daughter´s life. He would give my daughter assignment and quiz her with multiple choice questions always trying to encourage her to focus on math and science. He saved my life more than once when everyone was telling him to give up on me. Without him, I would not be here. The news is so unbelievably heartbreaking. I wish I had been there to protect him from medical error just like he protected me. He treated his office staff and patients life family with respect. His office looks like a 5-star hotel because he wanted to make his patients comfortable. We are devastated. He was a brilliant doctor and a great compassionate human being. My family and I will miss him forever.

I am shocked to learn the sudden passing of the great Dr. Williams. My mother was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer while she was in hospital. The doctors pushed for hospice but my mother was not ready to die. A nurse told me to speak with Dr. Williams. She told me that he is intelligent, he has high standards, he fights for his patients. As soon as he walked in, he commands presence, spoke eloquently, didn´t beat around the bush and my mother and I loved him. She lived 12 years enjoying life until she passed away of infection from hip surgery. He was the first to call to offer condolences and he took care of the entire funeral expenses. He was not only a superb doctor, he was a trusted friend to his patients and treated us like family. He goes out of his way to help people, so kind and gentle soul. My deepest condolences to his family and staff.

I've been a cancer patient of Dr Williams for 5 years. I feel so lucky to have had him as my doctor. I'm in remission now. He definitely knew what he was doing, and his staff was wonderful. He once told me that time goes by and life goes by, but what's important is who will remember you when you're gone. I will definitely remember him. So sorry to hear of his passing.

Dr..Williams has been treating my Mom's small cell lung cancer for 2 years. This is devastating. Such a smart man taken too.soon. My Mom has trust issues but she trusted Dr. Williams. I am so sorry for this loss praying for family, friends..

In loving memory of a wonderful , smart and BEST Doctor I´ve ever met ... I´m ALIVE because of Dr Michael .. words can´t express my gratitude and respect to this kind and generous man . My last visit and every visit I always say to him " Don´t you ever leave me !" And he always reply "I live for you " and he always give me this big smile. My husband and I love you and we will miss you terribly ...Our Deepest Sympathy to Dr Michael´s wife Ellen and Children , no words can express this tragic goodbye but may it comfort you to know you will be in our prayers ."Eternal rest grant unto you and let perpetual light shine upon you our dear Dr Robert Michael Williams .
Aylene/John

The sudden unexpected passing of Dr. Williams is very upsetting. My heart is aching. He was a brilliant doctor, he never gives up on his patients, he always fought hard for his patients. His jokes, his smile, his twinkling blue eyes, always dressed well for his patients in fact the best dressed doctor with extraordinary gifted brain, a man with class, dignity and the smartest oncologist ever. The news of his passing is shocking and devastating. He was a great and caring doctor to many, and a friend to all. I am going to miss my dear Dr. Williams. My deepest condolences to Ellen and his family.

My Dear Beloved Dr. Williams - I wanted to tell you that you were the best doctor ever. I as well as many of your patients trusted you with their life, we admired your dedication and respect for your patients, and you never disappointed. You kept me alive for 12 years with Stage IV cancer. You gave it all for your patients, working those long hours. You never stopped trying and believing even when adversity and science try to tell you different. You were an exceptional and brilliant doctor as well as one of the most morally upright human being I know. You were loved and so much appreciated by your patients. Your unique intelligence goes without saying but your kindness, your smile, your jokes, your attempt to help all your patients in time of need, helping your patients who were struggling, trying to teach all your patients about cancer and the immune system, NK cells discussion. You are the only doctor who tried to teach and arm your patients with as much information as you possible can about cancer and the immune system. Most doctors are about money and type of insurance. You never cared about money, the patents status, if anything you fought hard for those with humble beginnings, you stood up and fought with pride for the defenseless. What a man of superb moral character! My heart is broken, I will remember you everyday of my life until we meet. Rest in peace my guardian angel.

Dr. Williams was a brilliant oncologist, a humble and caring human being. He was the only doctor I trusted. What do I do now without my Shepherd? He fought hard to protect his patients from bad doctors and now to see his life abruptly end bad doctors breaks my heart. You could talk to him about anything, always ready to help his patients however he can. I remember when I had a problem with my son, I was so stressed out, did not know what to do while going through cancer treatment, I took my son with me so Dr. Williams could talk some sense into him. Dr. Williams somehow did his magic. My son decided to get his act together, went to college and is now very productive. He kept in touch with Dr. Williams for guidance. He was there for me when I needed him. I wish I was there to protect him from bad doctors. I am so devastated by his passing. Nobody can fill his shoes, his brilliance, class, decency and dignity. Doc Mike ... you left me, I am broken and sad.

I am one of the luckiest patient who had the privilege to be treated by Dr. Williams. He was kind, knowledgeable, always ready to discuss any topic and extremely smart. Yet so humble and decent. My cancer was wide spread when I initially saw him and I was terrified but he explained to me how cancer works and told me, "let me worry about it" and he did. He always worried about his patients. This amazing doctor was able to put me in complete remission. His passing is so sudden and unexpected and a huge loss to his patients. No body will be able to fill his Louis Vuitton shoes! I am scared and feel so lost. I will miss my wonderful Dr. Williams forever. This is so heartbreaking news.

Dr. Williams was the most compassionate, respectful and the best oncologist, always on top of the latest treatment. He never cared about money. He refused to collect copay and deductible of patients. He would always say "you have enough on your plate, don´t worry about it". I am devastated to lose him. I saw him last week and this week, my beautiful guardian angel is gone. I don´t even think that it is true. I hope the gates of heaven will open widely to welcome you as you were our angel here on earth.