JAMES "DAN" DANIEL WILLIAMS - OBITUARY

James "Dan" Daniel Williams, age 73, of Athens, passed away Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at his residence. Mr. Williams was born June 6, 1942, in Limestone County to Jesse Jonas Williams and Georgia Ermel Covington Williams.

Services will be Monday, July 6, 2015, 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church with Dr. Edwin Jenkins, Mark Whitt and Mike Davis officiating. The body will be placed in the church two hours prior to the service. Visitation was Sunday, July 5, 2015 from 4 to 9:00 p.m. at Limestone Chapel Funeral Home. Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery.

Preceded in death by his parents, Jake and Georgia Williams; one brother, Bobby Williams; and one brother-in-law, J.D. Clanton.

Survived by his wife, Kay Williams, of Athens; two sons, Daniel Williams and wife, Kara, of Ryland, AL and Charles Williams, of Athens; two daughters, Whitney Aldridge and husband, Allen, of Athens and Dinah Gamble and husband, Heath, of Rogersville, AL; seven grandchildren, Kaleigh Goode and husband, Will, of Tanner, Alex Wren Aldridge, and Asa Aldridge, all of Athens, Luke Williams, Jillian Williams, and Levi Williams, all of Ryland, AL and Wheeler Gamble, of Rogersville, AL; one sister, Joan Stanford and husband, Jimmy, of Athens; sister-in-law, Gail Clanton, of Athens; and several nieces and nephews.

Mr. Williams was a member and deacon of First Baptist Church. He was in the Alabama National Guards for 26 years and retired as 1st Sgt. and was a member of the 1343 Engineering Battalion.
Dan Williams spent more than 35 years in public office in Limestone County. He served one term on the Athens City Board of Education (1979 to 1984) before being elected to the Athens City Council, where he stayed until 1992.  Williams was elected Mayor of Athens in 1992 and held the city's highest office until November 2010, when voters sent him to Montgomery. He represented Alabama House District 5, which covers north and central Limestone County, including the cities of Athens and Elkmont.

Pallbearers will be Luke Williams, Asa Aldridge, Will Goode, Heath Gamble, Allen Aldridge, Will Stanford, Jesse Stanford and Dwight Covington. Honorary pallbearers will be Larry Hicks Sunday School Class of First Baptist Church, Evan Thornton, Jerrod Hester, Joy Whitt, Holly Losch, Daniel Whitt, Shane Black, Andrew Clanton, Jess Clanton, Samuel Clanton, and Caleb Clanton.

Memorial may be made to First Baptist Church, Hospice of Limestone County, American Leukemia Society, Will Haney Foundation, Bridge of Hope Adoption Ministry or a favorite charity.