Lewis Wilson Williams

Lewis W. Williams, Jr. passed away peacefully at age 89, on May 12, 2019, in Le Claire, IA, in the loving care of Jeff and Tammy Williams.  Memorial services will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2019, at Vandemore Funeral Homes & Crematory – Geneseo Chapel.  Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2019, at the funeral home.  Memorials may be directed to Lewis W. Williams, Jr. Memorial Fund.

Lew was born to parents Alice and Lewis W. Williams, Sr., on July 21, 1929, in Moline, Illinois, where he and his four sisters grew up.  He graduated from Moline High in 1948 and married his school sweetheart, Patricia McWilliams in August of 1950.  The U.S. Army arranged his first overseas adventure in Kaiserslautern, Germany, where he learned the building trade in the construction corps.  When he returned home, he and his father-in-law built the first family home in East Moline.  Lew worked in the computer department of International Harvester until his love of automobiles called him into the car business. He and a partner opened Highland Auto Sales in Moline.  Lew later left Highland Auto to buy Geneseo Motors, a GM dealership which he owned and operated for 27 years.  In 1970, Lew and Pat moved to Geneseo, IL. They loved their new town, the many wonderful friends they made while living there, playing golf at the Geneseo Country Club, and the many trips they were able to take that allowed them to see the world together.

In retirement, Lew and Pat moved to Florida and enjoyed the sunshine at their home in Bradenton.  They relished life on the golf course and Lew won many club championships. He also enjoyed fishing, especially the annual fishing trip he took to Alaska to fish for salmon and halibut. He always returned with lots of fish and fish stories.  “Lucky Lew” was an avid bingo player and casino fan.  A well-respected businessman, a skilled sportsman, a patriotic Army veteran, and most importantly, a man who loved his family, Lew always had a positive outlook, a friendly smile, and an engaging story for everyone he met.

He is survived by his four children, Ronda (Morris) Buchanan of Lacey WA, Jeffrey (Tammy) Williams of Le Claire IA, James (Kelli) Williams of Geneseo IL, and Nancy (Steve) Spohn of Olympia WA; sixteen grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; three sisters, Norma Gramling, Betty Holstlaw, and Shirley Peters; and special friend Clara Binns.  He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia, in 1999, and grandson, Alex Williams, in 2018, his parents, and sister, Mary Jo.