Ronald “Keith” Williams, 77, passed away Oct. 10, 2014, in Kalispell.
Keith was born July 11, 1937, in Eureka to Ronald D. and June L. Williams. He attended Lincoln County Schools. In 1954, at the age of 17, he quit school and joined the United States Army where he remained for four years. On July 11, 1958, he was honorably released from active duty as a specialist 5. While in the military, he served in Nevada during the atomic bomb testing, and later served in Germany.
After he retired from the military he returned to Eureka. His jobs included chief of police in Eureka, millwright and laborer in local saw mills, farming the family homestead in Trego and owning the Trego Mercantile. He later went on to own and operate Williams Computer Aided Drafting.
In 1959 he met Alta Marie Borup at a dance in Trego. They were married Jan. 18, 1960, and had four children during the next five years. In 1977, the family moved to Kalispell. In 1995, he and Alta started adoption proceedings and over the course of seven years they adopted six girls from various countries.
He was admired and looked up to for his work ethic and, if he ever had a panicked moment about how things were going, it never showed. He had a smile for everyone and his teasing ways and sense of humor endeared him to many. His love and adoration for his family showed as he could often be found holding a child's hand, helping a grandchild with a fishing pole or napping in his easy chair with one, or more, of his children, grandchildren, cats or dogs contentedly sleeping on him.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Robert and Richard; and his sons, Anthony and Dennis.
He is survived by his wife, Alta; daughters, Rhonda, Krystina, Shauna, Cecilia, Sonia, Anna and Sara; son, Lawrence, and his wife, Cindy; daughter-in-law, Sherry Williams; sister, Betty Myers, and her husband, Marshall; and brother, Noel Williams. He is also survived by numerous beloved grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Memorial services will be 4 p.m. Oct. 18 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Kalispell.