John went to the Nora (Nebraska) grade school, Utica (Nebraska) grade school, and later when the family moved to Lincoln in 1962, the Lincoln Public Schools. John graduated from Lincoln High School in May 1969. He graduated from Nebraska Technical College (later Southeast Community College) in Milford, where he studied refrigeration, air conditioning, and electronics.
John was in the US Air Force during the Vietnam era where he continued his study and learned even more about electronics.
After his service, John worked at Lee’s Propane and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on refrigeration and air conditioning.
John graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelor’s degree from the Teacher’s College. After graduation, John moved to Richmond, Virginia where he taught refrigeration and air conditioning technology.
John returned to Lincoln and worked in the media center at Irving Middle School in Lincoln. John also worked in the Lincoln office for the 2010 US Census.
John’s interests included gardening and plants. He enjoyed growing tomato plants and had a special interest in raising unusual plants like amaranth, the latter of which he ground for its grain. The start of the new year was always one of John’s favorite seasons as he watched his mailbox for the arrival of the seed catalogs from the various nurseries that had him on their mailing list.
John enjoyed creating art. He loved to paint with watercolors, use colored pencils to sketch, and created many drawings and paintings.
He was an avid photographer and had his own basement darkroom where he would process mostly black and white photos.
John had many interests, including astronomy, and was an avid reader. He loved to listen to music, especially songs from the 1960s and 1970s, but also enjoyed some of the more current and past tunes.
John enjoyed connecting one-on-one with people who enjoyed conversation. He could tell a few funny stories and about his varied interests and experiences. He was very intelligent and would find most anything interesting in some way. He enjoyed teasing his cousins and had a kind spirit.
John passed away at Holmes Lake Rehabilitation and Care Center in Lincoln on Tuesday morning, January 31, 2023.
Survivors include his mother, Verda Williams; his youngest brother, Glenn Williams; his aunt Verla (Oldenburg) Dudgeon; and many cousins.
He is preceded in death by his father, John Verle Williams; his younger sister, Marlene Kay Williams; his grandparents on both sides; some cousins; and most of his aunts and uncles.
A visitation will be held on Friday, February 3rd from 12:00 PM -7:00 PM. at Roper and Sons South Chapel, 3950 Hohensee Dr, 68516.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2023, at 10:30 AM at Southview Christian Church, 2040 S. 22nd St, Lincoln, NE 68502.
Memorials to Southview Christian Church or to the family for future designation.