Dwight David (Dave) Williams of Fortuna, CA, passed away peacefully on April 18, 2018, at the age of 72.

Dave Williams

David was born August 31, 1945 in LaPorte, Indiana, to Eskie and Rosemary (Stone) Williams. He lived in and around Adair County Missor, until he graduated from Novinger High School in 1963 and joined the Navy. He served from 1963 to 1966, stationed in Pensacola and Key West, Florida. He was later assigned to the USS Jamestown AGTR3, got to see the Panama Canal, South America, Hawaii, Hong Kong and Vietnam.

Once his tour of duty was over in 1966, he married a young lady from his hometown, Patricia Hall, who had moved to Fortuna while he was serving his country overseas. They were married in 1967, lived in San Francisco for a few years, and then moved north to Hydesville in 1969.

In 1974, the couple moved to Fortuna, bought a home and raised their daughter Deborah there. David worked in Carlotta and Scotia for Georgia Pacific, Louisiana Pacific, and PALCO sawmills for 38 years before he retired in 2007.

While at work on his lunch breaks, David enjoyed taking walks and photographing Yager Creek and the surrounding scenery. He would later incorporate his many photos into his Oil Paintings. David showed his paintings at Hobart Brown’s gallery in Ferndale in the ‘70s then later on at Old Town Art Gallery in Eureka until just before his illness made it impossible for him to continue painting. David was a very talented artist, whose love for nature and simple joys of life came across in his work. The time and patience that he took in each painting showed not only in the details, but who David truly was.

David was preceded in death by his parents, Eskie and Rosemary Williams, a brother Eskie Williams, Jr., a half-sister, Nellie Williams Owens, two half-brothers, Alva Williams and Arthur Williams, a niece, Lisa Tollenaar and his in-laws, Herschel and Dorothy L. Hall. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Patricia, daughter, Deborah, son-in-law Bret Diehl, grandson, Merrick Diehl, his three brothers and their families, John Williams (Julie and Jared McNew, Darrell and Tracy Williams, Radonna and Winston Wells); Bob Williams (Amber and Jaycee Thompson and Michael Williams); Tim and Lisa Williams (Kalee and TJ) all from Missouri, two sisters and their families, Wanda and Darryl Adams (Sonya and Luke Lang) from Florida; Mary and Leon McCarty (Calvin) from Missouri; Uncles Ron and Kim Stone of Arizona and Bruce & Dana Bunch of Missouri, brother-in-law and sister-in-law and family; Roger and Peggy Hall, (Tom and Tonya Hall) of California, along with numerous great nieces and nephews. Special friends Arthur and Kindell Bruga and the many friends and co-workers of Georgia Pacific Sawmill, Louisiana Pacific Sawmill at Carlotta, CA and Pacific Lumber Company of Scotia and Carlotta.

A Celebration of David’s Life will be held June 16, 2018, at 1 p.m. in the Hydesville Fire Hall. Anyone with fond memories and/or condolences are welcome and encouraged to attend. The family would like to thank all the doctors and nurses at Redwood Memorial Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital, the Veteran’s Clinic in Eureka, the VA’s Home Based Primary Care Team, the Staff of Hospice at Home Care Givers, the Staff of The Hospice House and the Staff of Humboldt Care Givers. Last and far from least, Dr. Alexandra Nelson and staff at the UCSF Memory Center.