James Williams

James Carl Williams went to meet his Lord and Savior on August 11, 2025, exactly 84 years and seven months from the day he was born on (January 11, 1941). He was a numbers guy, so he would have been proud to check out on such a precise day.

His parents were Elbert Williams and Chloe Bartlett Williams of Hector, Arkansas. He grew up with very little materialistically, but had freedom as a child that few could understand today. He graduated from Hector HS in 1958. After high school, he decided to go to the big city to find his fortune on a whim. Chicago didn't work out quite as planned, so he was back home after a month or two and his older brother Harold had come back from his time in the Army and told James to go to Arkansas Tech University with him on his GI Bill. Dad proudly graduated Arkansas Tech in 1962 with his bachelor's and never forgot his brother's gift.

One night soon after graduating, James went to Hector HS to see his younger brother Jerry in a play. There he met a girl who was playing a piece of chocolate cake in the production. Well now….who doesn't like chocolate cake? Yes, James and Mary Wolf fell in love and married on May 5, 1962, shortly after her debut. After that, with the help of his sister Norma Williams Bolen, he applied for a government position with the Wage and Hour Division Labor Dept. and worked for them for 35 years. He was also in the Air Force Reserves during the Vietnam War.

James and Mary had two daughters and his work took them to Louisiana where they lived in New Orleans and Houma, Louisiana for a time before settling in Greenwood, Mississippi, to raise the girls. It was a good family life with dedicated parents who sacrificed much for their kids. Once the girls were grown and out of the house, James and Mary decided 38 years was long enough and parted ways even though they cared for each other still. The "parting" was way more peaceful than the 38 years they would say, but he always said no one could say "they didn't try".

James retired and went back to Arkansas to live and found the backwoods life he had dreamed of for so long was peaceful but a bit lonely. After just a few years, though, he was playing computer card games and started chatting with a woman from Sherburne, NY. This was in the very scary early days of online dating and her family flew him out to meet her in Georgia for their first meeting with her son watching over things. Her name was Patricia Snyder, and they were married shortly after in a world-wind affair! He had met his truest partner in life. She never let James get bored again. They stayed half the year in New York and the other half in Arkansas. They travel to all the states, visited landmarks, sports games and visited family and friends all over the country on a regular basis, played cards, dominos, and dice games with their NY & AR friends…and were loved by all for their love of life and generosity.

When Patricia suddenly passed in October 2021, James was truly lost. He decided at the young age of 80 with Parkinsons Disease to move to Arizona to live with his daughter Diana and her family. He enjoyed the warm climate, playing Yahtzee and dominos and reading books in the sunshine and having his family around him. It really was a life well lived.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister Beverly, and brothers Harold and Jerry, with whom I'm sure he is now enjoying a blessed reunion.

He is survived by his sister Norma Williams Bolen of Russellville, Arkansas. His daughters Diana (Tim) Szymanski of Arizona and Laurie Williams of North Dakota, his grandchildren Nicolas and William Brown, and Madison and Dalton Szymanski. So many nieces, nephews, and cousins…and double cousins that cover the Arkansas mountain and beyond. He is also survived by Patricia's children whom he loved deeply. Scott (Lisa) Snyder of New York, Pete Snyder of Georgia, Jamie (Mike) Tharp of Pennsylvania and Patricia's grandchildren Chelsea (Kate) Snyder, Brett (Kylene) Snyder and Griffin Snyder and one great-grandchild, Willow, whom James got to spend cherished moments with last Christmastime 2024.

A celebration of life with his ashes to be scattered at his beloved cabin in Jerusalem, Arkansas, will be held at a future date.