Larry Gene Williams of Port Angeles, Wash.

1941 – 2023

     Larry Gene Williams of Port Angeles, Washington, passed away at home on June 7. He was 81.

     He was born July 14, 1941, in Loris, to Eugene and Martha Elma Porter Williams. Larry had a great sense of humor and a love for adventure. He had a passion for working with wood and enjoyed traveling. In his younger days, Larry learned to fly an airplane and even enjoyed skydiving. He was also an avid stamp collector and photographer. Larry had a deep appreciation for dogs, gardening, and wildlife.

     Larry is survived by his son, Dale Gene Williams, and his wife, Cathryn Russell Williams, of Corning, California. He is also survived by three sisters and one brother:

• Sonya Williams Anderson (Howard) of Ash (Calabash), and his nephews, Mark Anderson of Nashville, Tennessee, and Kevin Anderson (Karen) of Belmont, Vermont.
• Bettylien (Betty) Williams Smith of High Point, and his nephew, Brannon Alan Smith, of Thomasville, and his family, Emery Alan Williams Smith, Catherine (Cate) Anne Williams Smith, and Julian Anderson Williams Smith.
• Linda Williams Sims of Durham, and his nephew, Michael Shelton Sims, of Boones Mill, Virginia.
• Harold Wayne Williams (Cathy) of Liberty, Kentucky, nephews Greg Williams (Annette) of Gainesville, Georgia, and their son Logan, and Drew Williams (Taylor Jane) of Neptune Beach, Florida, and niece, Angel Causey Williams, of Brunswick, Georgia, and her sons Jimmy Potter, and Eric Potter.

     Larry is also survived by his last surviving aunt, Vera Porter Reaves Graham in South Carolina; and numerous cousins across Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Texas, and other states.

     Larry will be fondly remembered by family, relatives, and friends who will hold him in their hearts forever.

     In addition to his parents Larry was preceded in death by his wife, Georgia Matura Williams; and his special companion for his last decade, Diane Grove Hensley Fidanque.

     Larry started school in Loris at the age of 7 after being homeschooled by his mother for two years. He moved with his family to Raeford, in 1951 and graduated from Hoke County High School in 1957 at 15 years of age.

     He enlisted in the US Navy at San Diego, California, where he proudly served from 1957 to 1959.

     Larry worked at NASA, Stanford University, and other well-known companies in California before becoming a successful real estate agent. He retired to Port Angeles, Washington in 2017 where he enjoyed sitting in the backyard of his home on a high bluff and watching large ships sail by on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, feeding the friendly deer who visited daily, and viewing the city of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada across the Strait.

     He and his companion Diane also traveled to many scenic places in the United States until her death in March 2023.

     A celebration of Larry’s life will be held in his honor at a later date in South Carolina. His family and relatives will gather to remember the joy and laughter he brought to their lives.

     Larry will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

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