Robert WILLIAMS Obituary

Robert passed from this life on Thursday morning, June 23, 2022. He was 80 years old. Born July 20, 1941, grew up in Marcus, Washington. He moved to the Spokane Valley with his family in 1957. Graduating from West Valley High School in 1959, he was a standout athlete. He won state his senior year throwing discus while setting several distance records. He played Football at Whitworth College for a season and competed in track for Columbia Basin College. In 1963, Robert was inducted into the United States Army. After basic training at Fort Ord, California, he was transferred to the U.S. Army Ordnance Center and School, Aberdeen Proving Ground. He was then assigned to the 724th Maintenance Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, Augsburg, Germany in 1964. While in Germany, he married his high-school sweetheart, Saundra Hefte. He received the national defense service medal and expert (rifle) badge before obtaining early release in August 1966. He transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve when returning stateside to start his family. He was honorably discharged in 1969. He made his home in and around Spokane, Washington, and began working as a customer service representative with United Airlines at the Spokane International Airport. He retired from United in 1996 after 30 years of service and moved to Deer Park to support his mother until she passed in 2016. He then moved to Phoenix, Arizona to be close to his son.  Known for his gentle spirit and welcoming personality, he always had a silly joke or pun to elicit laughter from those around him. His ability to make people feel comfortable was always appreciated by all those he met. He was a man of faith and has now been restored.  Robert is preceded in death by his mother and father, Angie and Elmer, and older brother, Stanley, and Saundra. He is survived by his younger brothers and sister, Kenneth, Jim, Tim, and Judy as well as his two children, Kevin and Tawnya.  A memorial service will be held at the Open Door Congregational Church in Deer Park on Tuesday, July 19th, at 4:00 pm. There will be a celebration of his 81st birthday at the Marcus Island Campground on July 20th. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Barrows Neurological Institute or The Parkinson's Foundation (www.parkinson.org).