Thomas Williams

THOMAS EDWARD WILLIAMS, 49, A RESIDENT OF BREMERTON, DIED AT HARRISON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ON JULY 2, 2007 OF NATURAL CAUSES. TOM WAS BORN FEBRUARY 1, 1958 IN PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA. HE GRADUATED FROM PINEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL IN WEST VIRGINIA IN 1976. A CAREER NAVY MAN, TOM SERVED IN THE U.S. NAVY FROM 1985 TO 2005, ACHIEVING THE RANK OF AK1. HE DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF BY EARNING 4 NAVY/MARINE CORPS ACHIEVEMENT MEDALS. HE WAS A VETERAN OF OPERATION DESERT STORM AND ENDURING FREEDOM AND RECEIVED NUMEROUS MERITORIUS UNIT CITATIONS. OF PARTICULAR NOTE WERE HIS MANY LETTERS OF COMMENDATION FROM FLAG COMMANDERS IN SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF EXEMPLARY SERVICE. HE RETIRED FROM THE NAVY IN 2005. TOM ORIGINALLY CAME WEST TO JOIN THE NAVY FROM WEST VIRGINIA. WORKING IN THE COAL MINES IN HIS LATE TEEN YEARS INTO HIS TWENTIES, HE LEFT HIS SIBLINGS AND FAMILY BEHIND TO JOIN THE NAVY. OVER THE YEARS HE DEVELOPED EXTENDED FAMILIES THAT KNEW AND LOVED HIM IN THE SAME WAY. TOM LIVED WITH RENE AND LINDA LAMARCHE IN PORT ORCHARD FOR MANY YEARS WHILE TOM WAS EXERCISING HIS WUNDERLUST AND ATTENTION TO CHANGES IN ORDERS FROM THE NAVY. WHEN HE FINALLY BECAME STATIONED AT HIS HOMESTEAD IN BREMERTON, HIS EXTENDED FAMILY INCLUDED ALL OF HIS PALS, ACQUAINTANCES AND FRIENDS WHO JOINED WITH HIM IN ACTIVITIES AT THE HEADS-UP BREWERY IN SILVERDALE, WASHINGTON. HE JOINED THE QUICKSILVER HYDROPLANE RACING TEAM AND LIVED LIFE AT ITS FULLEST. IN 2005, AFTER TAKING HIS UNIFORM OFF FOR THE LAST TIME, HE JOINED ANOTHER FAMILY, BAE SYSTEMS AT KEYPORT, WA WHERE HE QUICKLY MADE FRIENDS AND BECAME LOVED BY ALL HE CAME IN CONTACT WITH. TOM WAS A SPECIAL MAN WHO TOUCHED THE LIVES OF ALL HE MET. HE WAS LOVED, RESPECTED, AND ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP THOSE IN NEED. HIS WINNING SMILE, MISCHEVIOUS GRIN, AMAZING SENSE OF HUMOR, GENEROUS HELPING HAND AND HIS INNOVATIVE MIND WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED BY ALL WHO KNEW AND LOVED HIM. TOM WILL BE SADLY MISSED. ALL OF THESE FAMILIES HAVE FOND - AND SOMETIMES DIFFERENT -MEMORIES OF TOM. HE SEEMED TO FIT IN WELL NO MATTER WHERE HE WENT AND BECAME LOVED BY ALL - EXCEPT THOSE WHO TRIED TO STEAL HIS BEER. TOM WAS PRECEDED HIM IN DEATH BY HIS PARENTS JOSEPH AND LAVETTA (SPENCER) WILLIAMS. HE IS SURVIVED BY SON JASON E. (MECCA) WILLIAMS OF BECKLEY, WEST VIRGINIA; BROTHERS DANNY WAMACK OF PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA AND ROBERT WILLIAMS OF FLORIDA; SISTERS DIANNE WILLIAMS, DEBBIE BOYD AND MALISSA RICHARDS ALL OF PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA AND ONE GRANDDAUGHTER, ALYSSA; EXTENDED FAMILY RENE AND LINDA LAMARCHE; COWORKERS AT BAE SYSTEMS AND FRIENDS AT HEADS UP BREWING CO. THERE WILL BE A CELEBRATION OF LIFE AT THE HOME OF LARRY AND CAROL BOWLES IN SILVERDALE AT 5:00 PM, THURSDAY, JULY 5TH. FOR DIRECTIONS TO THE CELEBRATION, PLEASE CALL THE HEADS UP BREWING CO. AT (360) 337-2739. INURNMENT WILL BE AT TAHOMA NATIONAL CEMETERY IN KENT, WASHINGTON AT A LATER DATE. TOM'S SON, SISTERS, BROTHERS, GRANDAUGHTER, NIECES, AND NEPHEWS ALL JOIN TOGETHER TO GIVE A THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR KINDNESS, WELL WISHES, AND SUPPORT OVER THESE LAST, FEW, TRYING DAYS. A MEMORIAL FUND IN TOM'S NAME HAS BEEN SET UP AT KITSAP COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION.