Ben Stanley Williams

Ben Stanley Williams, better known as "Smilin' Stan," passed away on November 3, 2025.
Stan lived a life defined by his love for the Lord, his family, a good story, and an unwavering optimism.
He graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in accounting, but at heart, he was always a salesman. Over the years, his career spanned roles as a real estate agent, stockbroker, insurance salesman, and hurricane claims adjuster. During his sons' formative years, he started a business buying, rehabbing, and selling homes-with his boys serving as the primary labor force. While they might argue it skirted a few child labor laws, those early experiences laid the foundation for each of their successful careers in construction.
Stan approached both life and business with creativity, humor, and a willingness to think outside the box. Challenges never discouraged him-they simply invited a new solution. When a homebuyer was short on cash for a down payment and happened to own a local Mexican restaurant, Stan worked out a solution only he could dream up: $5,000 worth of tamales as partial payment.
In addition to his business pursuits, Stan gave generously of his time and talents, serving on the boards of the Rotary Club, Texas Boys Ranch, Leadership Lubbock, Young Life, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Outside of work, Stan enjoyed golf, sandhill crane hunting, and cooking for a crowd. Whatever he enjoyed, he wanted to share it with everyone. He loved teaching others about golf almost as much as he loved playing, and if you ever heard that booming, unmistakable laugh in a crowd, you knew Stan was nearby.
Stan didn't take himself seriously-ever. He didn't care what people thought and was always happy to be the butt of the joke if it got a laugh. He had that rare kind of charm that made people instantly comfortable. When he walked into his favorite diner, the staff didn't ask for his order-they told him, "Sit down, shut up, and you'll eat what I bring you!" and Stan wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
He was a storyteller through and through, known for adding just enough embellishment to keep things interesting-fitting for a man with the initials B.S. Stan's choices didn't always make sense to those around him, often leaving people shaking their heads and asking, "Why on earth would you do that?" His answer was simple: "Because it made for a good story."
No story captures that spirit better than the time he was 20 years old and decided, with a buddy, to ride his bicycle from Monterey, California, all the way back to Texas. Along the way, he stopped to see his sister at the summer camp where she worked. But instead of just pedaling in, Stan made a grand entrance by hitching a ride on a trash truck-because, of course, it made the story better.
Stan is survived by his wife, Rita, with whom he shared 52 years of marriage; his mother, Margaret; his sister, Jan; and his sons Toby, Blake, Dustin, and Andrew. He was a proud grandfather to Keden, Kaylee, Ben, Maebry, Austin, Zachary, Jacob, Johnathan, and Alyssa.
Stan's legacy lives on through the people he loved most, the lessons he taught, and the laughter he shared so freely.
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