Houston Bennett (Ben) Williams
March 9, 1935 ~ Dec. 18, 2017
Houston Bennett Williams passed away Dec. 18, 2017, at Pioneers Medical Center in Meeker, Colo., at age 82. He was born March 9, 1935, to Houston M. and Jennie May Williams in Watauga, Texas. Ben spent a happy childhood playing with friends in the neighborhood, some of which he kept in contact with until now.
Ben was particularly proud of his Polytechnic High School baseball team which continued to hold the state record for many years. He attended SMU and graduated from TCU. He then was drafted into the army spending time with the 8th Cavalry in Germany after being chosen to play baseball with the Cleveland Indians. Ben later played semi-pro baseball with the Grand Junction Eagles. He coached sports in Grand Junction, Gunnison and at Poudre High in Fort Collins. Later he worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Fort Collins, Colo., until he retired in 1998.
Words from his dear friend, Keith Mcintyre: “Ben was given a valuable piece of advice by one of his coaches which was “we put you out there to catch the ball in front of 80,000 fans and expect you to do that.” He was able to calm himself to where he could catch that ball whether football or baseball in the 1950s. He got professional contracts out of both football and baseball and enjoyed driving his 1957 Ford T-bird convertible before he gave it up and went on to become an Army Ranger. He was wounded in an attack somewhere in the Mideast which cost him his speed for sports. We got to know Ben when he came to Greeley in the early ‘80s and thoroughly enjoyed everything about him for 40 years including staying at the ranch with he and Lois nine times over the last five years which allowed us to get to know Lois as well.”
Ben worked part-time for RBC after moving to Meeker in 2005 until his retirement in 2015. He especially enjoyed working with Bill Jordan and becoming acquainted with many Meeker people. Ben leaves behind his wife Lois Kincher Willams, his daughter Jennifer Turner of Durango, grandsons Nicholas and Anthony, his step-son Lance Sizemore of Parachute and step-daughter Laura Sizemore Jackson of Vernal, Utah. No services are planned at his request.
