Floyd James Williams

Floyd James Williams, 94, passed away on Friday, June 20, 2025. He was born on October 26, 1930 in Lowell, Ohio to Delbert and Bertha Martin Williams. Always one to choose the path less travelled at the tender age of eighteen months, he chose to take up residence with his grandmother, whom he always referred to as Mom. She taught him the value of hard work and under her guidance he developed that self-confidence, totally devoid of arrogance, which was always a key feature of his personality. He graduated from Lowell High School where he also met Marcia Engle, the classy and beautiful girl whom he loved and served devotedly for the rest of his life. She led him to the Catholic faith which he embraced with so much enthusiasm that the priest who was instructing him asked him if he might like to become a priest!

Instead, he went ahead and married Marcia and the two of them worked together to achieve his PhD. in Plant Pathology which he received from the Ohio State University. He took up a career in international agricultural research, his way of fulfilling the corporal act of mercy of feeding the hungry, and played a significant part in enabling India to become a global exporter of grain.

Along the way he enjoyed shooting, fishing, working with leather, listening to classical music, and reading about a wide range of topics. Indeed, one friend affectionately referred to him as a walking encyclopedia. His zest for life carried on beyond the three score and ten. He was 92 when he fulfilled his boyhood dream of learning to fly an airplane.

Above all, however, Floyd treasured faith and family. He was constantly concerned with serving God (he was a daily communicant) by loving those around him, particularly his family. He was charity personified and is missed beyond measure by his children, Jim, Karen and Alicia and his grandchildren, Matthew, Kevin, Jessica, Thomas, Tobias, Gregory, Sean and Liam. In his later years he was blessed with twelve great-grandchildren who were the delight of his eye. We thank God for Floyd's loving example and ask all of you to pray for him, as he will pray for you, that we all might meet merrily in heaven.

A graveside service will be held at the Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church Cemetery on Friday, June 27, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. with the Rev. David Gaydosik officiating.

Cawley & Peoples Funeral Home is honored to serve Floyd's family and offers online condolences and many other resources on their website, www.CawleyandPeoples.com or by following their Facebook page.