Gary Joe Williams passed away Wednesday April 21, 2022, in Kingfisher, Oklahoma.

Gary was born in Enid, Oklahoma, November 14, 1945, to Joe Junior Williams and Marion Nadine Bishop Williams, both of Kingfisher.

Gary was a unique guy. As a little boy he liked to take things apart, like the family television set, and not put them back together. The only things he liked to put together were model airplanes. He also loved to read.

He served in the Army and spent two tours of duty in Vietnam as a helicopter mechanic. His dad was in Vietnam at the same time, as an Air Force pilot. They were able to spend time together, when possible.

Gary lived in Omaha for several years after his Army discharge, married and had two sons--Travis and Chad. The marriage ended in divorce, and he eventually moved to Kingfisher near his mother and father.

His love of books worked out for him in Kingfisher. He worked at the Kingfisher Memorial Library for approximately 18 years. He was extremely happy at the library but would sometimes get annoyed by people that just read for fun. He felt like you should always read a book to learn something.

Gary's nieces and nephews loved spending time with him. He would take nieces Heather and Erin, and nephews Heath and Joel to Sonic. His idea was to get chicken and fries and eat most of it himself. His favorite place to take them was a fish hatchery in Louisville, Nebraska. Niece Meghan loved to go the library to check out books from her Uncle Gary.

He spent many years with a lady he loved very much, Ruby McDowell, who passed away last year. She was always willing to join Gary in all his hobbies--she must have been a saint. Her children opened their hearts to Gary, and he was a part of their family as much as his own. Ruby's daughter Carolyn said Ruby would be waiting for Gary at the gates of Heaven and Gary would be telling everyone to be quiet so he could talk. Yes, that would be Gary.

His idea of a good time was to go to Greenwood Cemetery, a small rural graveyard west of Kingfisher, to clean and reset the tombstones. He said he would move there if he could, and that Greenwood was his church.

He is survived by his children, sons Travis and Chad, his sisters, Ginger Murphy Alford and Becky Bragg, and their families, as well as Ruby's family.

Gary's ashes will be spread across Greenwood Cemetery--the place he called his church.