Edward (Ed) Dale Williams, 83, of Sebring, Florida, passed away comfortably on November 21, 2018 at his home with his immediate family around him. Ed was born near Clarkson (Horntown), Kentucky on December 14, 1934 to Jess and Bessie (Fulkerson) Williams.
He graduated from Clarkson High School on May 7, 1955, where he was a power forward on the Red Hawks basketball team. On May 13, 1955, he married Janice Line, daughter of Clifford and Lois Line, with whom he spent 63 wonderful years and who survives him. Ed also is survived by a son Michael, of Stuart, Florida. He is survived by three of the nine children born to Jess and Bessie. They are: Howard, of Clarkson; Royce, of Boise, Idaho; and Loretta (Cecil) Probus of Louisville and Clarkson. He was preceded in death by a sister Aline (James) Nichols, and four brothers: Olen, Damon, Jesse and Loran.
Ed served four years with the United States Air Force’s Strategic Air Command at Limestone, Maine, where he was a mechanic on B-52 Bombers. He was involved in developing and assembling Fly-away Kits for the planes. The kits, which contained parts dedicated to specific problems on the planes, reduced the time spent fixing the planes from 30 or 40 minutes to three minutes. Ed was present when the system was demonstrated for President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Gen. Curtis LeMay. After his active service, Ed joined the Kentucky Air National Guard and retired as a technical sergeant after 23 years and six months of service. He was employed at American Air Filter of Louisville and Zion, Illinois, where he worked for just over 32 years. He retired as plant manager at Zion.
He lived his adult life in Louisville, Kenosha, Wisconsin (Pleasant Prairie), and finally Sebring, Florida, where he and Janice spent over 20 happy years together. In his spare time he enjoyed lake fishing with friends and was a very talented woodworker. Ed really enjoyed people and socializing and rarely missed the annual family reunion held on the old home site in Kentucky. Ed never lost touch with his home community and spoke often of how teachers and other locals guided him safely through his teen years. They knew, he said, where he was going in the 1949 ¾-ton truck he drove, telling him where not to take it. His mentors worked hard, for he raised hogs, corn crops, worked at a cucumber processing plant at Clarkson, hauled freight for all who paid, and worked as his school’s janitor and maintenance man. Before he was 18 years old, he was making more money than most local farmers. He said Mrs. Francis Gibson, a teacher, kept him from becoming a stuffed shirt. This teacher kept close tabs on both Ed and Janice, he recalled. Ed will be missed but fondly remembered by his family and friends.
Ed was a member of First United Methodist Church in Sebring and later also attended the Community Church at Buttonwood Bay Park. In lieu of any gifts or flowers, donations may be made to the Champion for Children Foundation of Sebring, PO Box 7125, Sebring, Florida 33872 (ChampionforChildren.org). Ed was a volunteer with this organization. A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.
