VINAL ‘DONNIE’ GEORGE WILLIAMS

HOULTON and HODGDON – Vinal “Donnie” George Williams, 94, passed away Nov. 14, 2008, at Gardiner Health Care Facility, Houlton, after a long and full life. He was born Nov. 9, 1914, in Amity, the son of Albert and Elzie (Daugherty) Williams. Donnie attended Hodgdon Baptist Church for many years and accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior in 1977. As a child, he attended school in Amity. Due to a visual disability, he was not able to enlist in the Armed Forces as did his three brothers during World War II, but he worked at Bath Shipyard, building and stocking ships for the war effort. Donnie loved his work, no matter what he was doing, traveled thousands of miles and met many people along the way during his lifetime. Of all the jobs he worked at though, probably his best times were spent operating a bulldozer on many groundwork projects, including the building of Houlton Regional Hospital and Interstate 95, and it would probably be no exaggeration to say Dad never met a bulldozer he didn’t like. During his final years of work, Donnie was a faithful employee of Colin Bartlett, building logging roads for Colin’s woods operation. He then retired, very reluctantly, at age 83. During those final years, Colin and Donnie’s relationship grew to be more that of father and son, rather than just employer/employee, and Donnie’s family will always appreciate the part Colin played in making the end of that chapter in Donnie’s life such a wonderful time for him. He also came from a long line of storytellers, and by the time he got to be in his 60s and 70s, it was a common occurrence for those riding along with him anywhere within a hundred miles of home to hear him say, “I worked there one time with a man who…” and then he’d colorfully relate some adventure he’d had in that particular spot. His grandson, Jeff, captured some of those stories on tape when he and Grampy went for a ride together a few years ago along the back roads of southern Aroostook County. Although severely injured by a falling tree in 1963 while working in the woods, Donnie refused to give up, and with injuries that would have disabled most men, he returned to work to provide for his family. He especially loved being able to help others when they had a problem or need, whether it was a family member, stranger, neighbor or friend. He enjoyed puzzles and mysteries, and among the most favorite gifts he received were the little “thingamajig” puzzles made of wood or metal that his daughter, Bev, always found to give him at Christmas that required unknotting, untwisting, unhinging or some form of mental/manual dexterity. The oddities of nature, such as “witches’ broom” in a fir tree or the cramp knot in an old tree trunk, always caught his eye, and he’d often bring those finds home for show-and-tell with family and friends. His legacy to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren is one of perseverance in hardship, a strong work ethic and willingness to help anyone in need. Donnie is survived by his wife, Floris, who was his faithful companion and an excellent helpmate for nearly the past 70 years; and six of his seven children and their familes, Robert and Dianne MacKerron of Bedford, Mass., and children, Bradley, Lisa, and Jeffrey; daughter-in-law, Sally Williams of Hermon and children, Brianna and Brittany; Beverly Ivey of Hodgdon and children, Michele and Jennifer and stepchildren, Nick, Kerri and Wendy; Reginald and Ellen Williams of Hodgdon and children, Sarah and Katie; Thomas and Beth Quint of Hodgdon and son, Barrett; Thomas and Lynn Weston of Houlton and children, Andrew and Leah; and Larry and Loreen Wiley of Hodgdon and children, Mikayla, Micah and Mariah; a brother, Carl “Bill” Williams of Houlton; and a sister, Arline Jackson of South Windsor, Conn. In addition, he leaves 13 great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son, Ronald Williams; sons-in-law, Richard Crook and Tony Ivey; three brothers, Payson, Eugene and Averill; and three sisters, Edna, Opal and Paul. Donnie’s family would like to thank Drs. Sussman and Abouleish; Donnie’s roommate at Gardiner, Gerald Duff and his family; and each and every staff member at Gardiner Health Care Facility. Each of you had a part in helping Donnie complete his earthly journey with dignity in the company of compassionate caretakers. Friends may call 7-9 p.m. Saturday at Dunn Funeral Home, where services will be held 1 p.m. Sunday with the Rev. Mark Lunn officiating. Interment will be at Hodgdon Cemetery. Friends may make gifts in Donnie’s memory to Greater Houlton Christian Academy, care of Dunn Funeral Home, 11 Park St., Houlton, ME 04730.