On September 1, 2023, Gerald (Gerry) A. Williams, 84, of Richland, Washington, passed away after a short illness. His wife Kay and daughter Daina were by his side.
Gerry joined the Air Force in 1956 and traveled through the United States and overseas in various stations and assignments. He was stationed at George AFB in Victorville, California when he met Kay in 1966 at the Quartz Hill airport. They soon married and were transferred to McCord AFB in Tacoma, Washington. There, they welcomed a daughter, Daina.
After 21 years in the Air Force, Gerry retired and tried his hand at several careers. He finally ended up in Ridgecrest, California, working for the Bureau of Land Management in charge of range maintenance. While at BLM, he worked with Mesquite High School students, having them help on maintenance projects. He also helped with the wild horse and burro program and with the BLM volunteers. Outside of work, he was Sparky the Clown and was frequently seen cheering up patients at the Ridgecrest Hospital.
He and Kay traveled the country extensively. He was able to visit all 50 states, and they hiked, camped, and explored whenever possible. When he retired in 2000, they built a log cabin up in Kennedy Meadows and happily lived up there until 2020. They then moved to Richland, Washington, to live with Daina and her little dog, Fiona. The last three years have been spent exploring eastern Washington and enjoying family and friends.
Gerry was predeceased by siblings Oliver Perry, Elsie Zeleski, Frank Perry, and son Rick Rhea. He is survived by his wife Kay (Humphreys) and children, Daina McFadden of Richland, WA. Don (Cyndi) Rhea of Palmdale, CA; granddog, Fiona; and ten grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.