Charles Standlee Williams

Charles "Butch" Standlee Williams, Jr., age 85, of Cleveland, TN peacefully entered into the arms of his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at the Tennessee State Veterans' Home in Cleveland. He was born on June 20, 1940 in Ft.Worth, TX where he grew up in the Lake Worth community. He attended Lake Worth High School where he played football. At the age of 17, he enlisted in The United States Marine Corps and was stationed in California, ranked as Private First Class. He was a Machine Gunner, Marksman, Proof Director (small arms), and Chaplain Assistant. While on a weekend pass, he was walking through Pershing Square, a park in Los Angeles, and heard beautiful singing. It was gospel. For fear of being seen by his buddies, he hid and listened. A little boy handed him a card showing where their next meeting would be. There, he went outside and stood looking up between two skyscrapers and gave his heart to God. He spent his weekend passes with his new Christian friends learning about the Lord. When they had finished their work, they returned to their home in Cleveland, TN. His next furlough, he hitchhiked 2,400 miles to visit them. In their mission church, he met a 16 year-old girl named Ann Mathews. After he hitchhiked back to California, they corresponded through the mail which included a marriage proposal. After his honorable discharge from the Marines, he traveled to Cleveland and married Ann on September 4, 1960.

He continued his ministry in Cleveland. They joined Mt. Olive Church of God in 1962, then moved to Ft. Worth, TX in 1963 where he became Youth Director, and President of Pioneers for Christ at Riverside Church of God. For the next five years, he conducted services at Skid Row in downtown Fort Worth. In 1968, they returned to Mt. Olive Church of God in Cleveland where he was the Young Adult Bible teacher. 1969, he served as Assistant Pastor at Birchwood Church of God in Meigs County, TN. Feeling a new call in 1970, he moved his young family to Los Angeles, CA to do street witnessing among the hippies and runaways. From 1971-1972, he pastored the South Omega Church of God in Reynoldsville, GA. He later returned to the same church from 1980-1981 which had been renamed Reynoldsville Church of God. In 1976, he became a charter member and the Adult Bible teacher at Ocoee Church of God in Ocoee, TN. 1984, he became a charter member and the Adult Bible teacher at Community Chapel Church of God in Cleveland. From 1989-1993, he organized and pastored the Lake Seminole Community Church in Reynoldsville, GA. In 1997, he became the Adult Bible teacher and served as Assistant Pastor at Primitive Church of God in Birchwood, TN where he remained a member until his death. Charles and Ann's ministry has always been to help establish new works and to support established works where needed.

Charles was employed at Church of God International Headquarters in different departments. He was their first IBM computer operator. Later, he was employed with the Cleveland Public Works Department. His remaining years before retiring, he was a commercial painter for Hardee's restaurants as well as a professional painter for many homes and businesses.

He was gifted with many talents during his life. He was an accomplished artist with exquisite handwriting and remarkable attention to detail. He was President of the Tennessee Amateur Archeological Society Club for Bradley County for several years. He had many hobbies, but bass fishing was at the top of his list. His greatest desire in life was to see Jesus. Following the Will of God remained his first priority in his life.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Standlee Williams, Sr. and Lois Evelyn Reagor Williams Ross; paternal grandparents, Walter James Williams and Ellie Naomi May Williams; maternal grandparents, John Wesley Reagor and Nettie Alma Yager Reagor; niece, Kimberly Kay Williams Ballard, all of Ft. Worth, TX. Son, David Everett Williams, and daughter-in-law, Evelyn King Williams (Charlie), both of Cleveland.

He is survived by his brother, Walter Jerry Williams (Carol), niece, Shannon Williams Hart (John), and their children, Kiersten and Kolten, all of Ft. Worth, TX.

He is survived by his faithful wife, Delois Ann Mathews Williams of 65 years; daughter, Lois Ann Williams Bunch (Steve); son, Charles "Charlie" Standlee Williams, III; daughter-in-law, Melody Prichard Lewis (Keith); grandchildren, Joshua Prichard (Megan), Erica Rice Stewart (Bryan), Hayley Williams Wood (Durelle), Ashton Williams (Lauren), Baylen Williams Gamble (Josh), and Andy Bunch (Avery); great-grandchildren, Jonas Prichard, Eli Gamble, Landyn Stewart, Emery Prichard, Neyland Stewart, Evie Gamble, Chance Wood, Carson Stewart, Houston Gamble, and Blakely Wood.

The family will receive friends on Monday, March 9, 2026, from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm at Companion Funeral Home of Cleveland. A Celebration of Life Service will follow beginning 2:00 pm with Reverend Bryan Stewart, and his Pastor Clint Ledford officiating. Interment will follow at Mt. Olive Cemetery. Pallbearers are Joshua Prichard, Ashton Williams, Andy Bunch, Durelle Wood, Jonas Prichard, Josh Gamble, Michael Witt, and Conley Parlaman.

The family would like to extend their deepest thanks and gratitude to Tennessee State Veterans' Home, and Hospice of Chattanooga (Cleveland) for their compassion and extraordinary care for Charles in the last days of his life.

You are encouraged to share a memory of Charles and/or your personal condolences with his family by visiting his memorial web page and guestbook at www.companionfunerals.com.

The funeral will be Live Streamed.