Donald Neil Williams (Don) passed away peacefully the morning of June 12th, 2024. Don was born October 27th, 1953 in Omaha, Nebraska to Helen and Glenn Williams. He was the second of five siblings. Don graduated from Shawnee Mission South High School in Overland Park, Kansas in 1972. He went on to attend Southern Methodist University where he triple-majored in finance, accounting, and marketing. He was a member of SMU's Delta Tau chapter of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI).

His FIJI days included an infamous run-in with the United States Coast Guard on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. In college, Don worked at Culwell & Son clothing store next to SMU where he began a lifelong journey of being the consummate salesman.

Don began his career at ClubCorp in Dallas, where he first entered the country club industry in which he would spend the remainder of his career. This included starting his own company, ClubTec, where he worked and employed many for over 42 years.

It was at Club Tec where Don first met Jan Yoder, fellow SMU alum, and they began dating. They were married in Galveston, Texas on October 10th, 1987, and were lovingly married for 36 years. In 1990, they moved into their home on Azalea Lane where they would raise their two children, Katie and Sam.

Don was a devoted parent, coaching many of Sam's baseball teams and attending all of Katie's dance recitals. He was very involved at Good Shepherd Episcopal School, The Hockaday School, and the Episcopal School of Dallas. Perhaps his favorite activity was picking up Katie from "End of Camp" at Waldemar every summer, even buying an RV to avoid the Hill Country heat! Don was very proud to have raised two children who both attended his alma mater SMU.

Don loved sports, namely golf, his Texas Rangers, and the SMU Mustangs, but especially SMU football. Don was a regular fixture at SMU tailgates – "The Boulevard" – hosting friends, family, and his children & their college friends. He was thrilled when his children finished college to continue attending Boulevards together, having captained a bus to Norman, Oklahoma this fall for Katie and Sam's friends to attend the SMU-OU football game. He never missed an SMU home game, even in rain, ice, or extreme heat. Don was also a Texas Rangers season ticket holder since the late 1970's. He loved watching his Texas Rangers win their first-ever World Series this past fall, including a win that fell on the night of his 70th birthday. His children often joked that his third kid was Scottie Scheffler, and he was never far from the TV on Sunday when Scottie was chasing a win.

Don was an active citizen and leader in his community, serving on SMU's Cox School of Business Executive Board, the SMU Athletic Board, a Good Shepherd School Trustee, and on the Wednesday's Child Board of Directors.

He could regularly be found holding court at one of his neighborhood haunts, Greek Isle, PoPoLo's, or Cantina Laredo. One of his great joys in recent years was Katie's marriage to her husband Kirk, and he never missed a chance to remind everyone how much of a blast the wedding was.

When Don Williams was in the room, you knew it. He had the quintessential larger than life personality that endeared him to everyone, and he truly never met a stranger. He lived a life that could never be captured in a single page, and his story now lives on through the many lives that he touched. He will be remembered as a loving husband, devoted father, and friend to many, who will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

He was preceded in death by his father, mother, and beloved mother-in-law Barbara Yoder. He is survived by his wife of 36 years Janet Yoder Williams; his daughter Katie and her husband Kirk Presley of Dallas, TX, and Sam Williams of Dallas, TX; siblings Dwight (Margaret) Williams of Dallas, TX, Cory Williams of Phoenix, AZ, David (Joyce) Williams of Owens Cross Roads, Alabama, Anne (Mick) Foley of Phoenix, AZ, and sister-in-law Ann Yoder Swayze of New Orleans, LA; as well as many precious nieces, nephews, and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Dallas's Scottish Rite Hospital for Children , a very special place for Don and his family, as well as Good Shepherd Episcopal Church Memorial Fund.

Memorial services will be held at the sanctuary of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church of Dallas (11122 Midway Rd.) on Saturday, June 22nd at 11am. The family requests that we honor Don by wearing your best red and blue for the SMU Mustangs.

Click this link to visit Don's Personal Remembrance Page to share your cherished memories and upload photos of your time with him.