Obituary of John Anthony Williams

John Anthony Williams, age 67, of Gilbert, AZ passed away the morning of August 31, 2021 after suffering from complications due to Covid-19. John was born in Roseburg, OR on February 12, 1954 to Bill and Josephine Williams. As the youngest of 3 boys, John was always very curious and very sensitive to his surroundings growing up. He had a full head of curly hair, inherited from his dad, and a special bond with his mom. He felt proud to be Mama’s boy. He demonstrated tremendous athletic, artistic, and musical talent throughout his life. John married Rachel Barnes in 1975 and they had two children: Christina Mae in 1978 and Marcus Eugene in 1983. Even though his marriage to Rachel ended, John always maintained relationships with his children as they grew up. John graduated from the University of Oregon in 1982 with a Pre-law/Political Science degree and went on to have several careers in his lifetime. But no matter what he was doing for a living, his love for people and his strong faith was always evident. Most recently John moved to Gilbert, AZ and spent time as a caregiver for his granddaughter, Sadie, who lives with multiple severe disabilities. John always had a special bond with Sadie, which was easy to see when they were together. He loved all 7 of his grandchildren dearly and loved to spend time with them. His youngest grandson was just born in April of this year. John is survived by his wife, Christine Rabe, brother Rob Williams, daughter Christie Bec, son Marcus Williams, grandchildren: Attilie, Sadie, Theodore, Ezra, Josephine, Karis, and Emery, and two step-children Elizabeth and Nathaniel Breniser. John will always be remembered for his loud voice, his big personality, and his kind heart, as well as his love for music and his creative imagination. He loved to laugh and be silly, which he demonstrated up until the very end. He was a true believer in the spiritual world and had conviction that there was something beyond this life. Some of his last words were, “I don’t know if I’ll be able to miss you where I’m going, but if I can, I will,” proving that right up to the very end he had big love for his people. Our family would like to thank all the hard-working doctors, nurses, and staff at Mercy Gilbert Hospital for the care they provided John in order to make his last days as comfortable as possible. We are especially grateful for the allowances made in order for us to say goodbye to him in person. Services have been postponed due to Covid-19 risk. Tentatively, we’ve planned a Celebration of Life in Arizona on John’s birthday in February. We’d like to celebrate John’s life with friends and family in Oregon sometime this summer. More details will be forthcoming, please contact Christie if you’d like more information (christie.m.beck@gmail.com). Please use this link to view a memorial video of John’s life.