In Memoriam

DAVID G. WILLIAMS of Orange City, Florida, having achieved his fourscore-and-ten [age 90], passed away peacefully at home in the sunny late afternoon of Saturday March 13, 2021.  Born to Sallie Wakefield Gilman and Gurth Williams in Worcester MA on Sept. 20, 1930, he grew up as their single child in Stamford CT.  He lived and worked in CT, NY and the Boston area before settling in Florida.  He married Jody (Pullen) in September 1990 at Old North Church; 14 years later they left Boston on a 28’ sailboat to putter south on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), destination Key West.  Falling unexpectedly in love with the Daytona/Ormond area, they became official Floridians in 2005, “snowbirding” with long summers of sailing and family up north.    

        Three lifelong loves and loyalties of David are captured in the closing words of Yale’s alumni song: “May our watch-cry be--Where’er upon life’s sea we sail: ‘For God, for Country, & for Yale’.”  To those, add skiing, sailing, music, travel, work devoted mainly to others, civic responsibility (give blood, attend candidate and issue forums, and vote!), a quiet reliable helpfulness, and love of friends and family.  Ladies would also note his twinkling blue eyes and shiny white teeth.   After South Kent School (a small Episcopal boys’ school in the mountains of western CT) in 1948, David went on to Yale, getting his BA in international relations & economics in 1952.  He immediately joined the US Navy (Atlantic Fleet) serving as Communication Officer [LTJG] on the USS ­San Marcos (LSD-25) from 1952-54 during the Korean conflict.

As a teenager, David learned sailing and how to use a sextant crewing for an “old salt” on a schooner in Long Island Sound.  As a college single, he danced tuxedo-clad at debutante balls in Manhattan (standing at one next to Mary Martin singing “My Heart Belongs to Daddy”).   As a young professional in Cambridge MA in the 1950s, he could ski to his heart’s content as a Ski Patrol rescuer of injured skiers on Wildcat Mountain in NH.  He crewed on sailboat races to Halifax Nova Scotia and Bermuda.  He was a lifelong member of Mory’s in New Haven CT, immortalized in the Yale Whiffenpoof theme song: “Gentlemen songsters off on a spree…. God have mercy on such as we.  Baa! Baa! Baa!”   

In his long diverse professional career in business, finance, fundraising and institutional investments, David worked for (among others): S&H Green Stamps, IBM (tending to computers the size of huge rooms); investment firms including W.E. Hutton, Wilshire Associates, and Bankers Trust.  He served on boards of professional and community organizations, including the Bond Club of Boston, the Boston Investment Club, the Yale Club of Boston, Delta Projects (a disability services provider), and the Old North Church and Foundation (of Paul Revere fame).  He rescued and ran a charter boat business on the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of St. Martin in the early 1970s.  Employed in Yale University’s Development office, he lured industry into partnerships with Yale.  A “cradle Episcopalian,” he was active all his life in local churches, and he was unfailingly loyal to his alma maters.   

David’s 33 years with Jody were happily itinerant, on or in four sailboats (lengths of 18, 24, 28 & 34 feet), five apartments, and three houses.  Thrice they slowly cruised round-trip Boston to Florida, mostly on the Atlantic ICW but occasionally sailing offshore.  For 25 years they helped organize and host the Antique and Classic Boat Festival on the North Shore of Massachusetts.  In earlier professional years David travelled often to London & Holland and across the US; later with Jody he visited Europe several times (David spoke some Dutch and French, and Jody, French), sailed the Caribbean with friends, and ventured in 2017 to China and Tibet.  Summers found them sailing in Cape Cod Bay, Buzzards Bay and Martha’s Vineyard. 

David did NOT like large cruise ships, preferring to captain his own vessel.  In 2003 at the age of 73 (“for fun”), he earned a US Coast Guard merchant marine license to operate “steam, motor and auxiliary sail” vessels up to 100 tons, after which Captain Williams often took the wheel of a 44’ “party boat” and a replica schooner in Boston Harbor and out to sea.  He volunteered as launch driver at Cottage Park Yacht Club in Winthrop MA, where he and Jody kept their sailboat.   He proudly helped with communications for the international Sail Boston-2000 Tall Ships festival, and escorted visiting Russian merchant marine cadets around the city on their first day in the US.  He was pleased when the captain of the USS Constitution (the Navy’s oldest warship afloat, launched 1797, now berthed in Charlestown MA), when a guest aboard the Williams’ sailboat, was envious that David’s humble marine GPS talked to more satellites than Constitution’s did!   

David’s gentle low bass voice was not good enough for him to get into Yale’s Whiffenpoofs or Glee Club, but he achieved vocal glory by singing in Royal Albert Hall in London.  In 1992 a few men from the Boston group Saengerfest joined 800 choristers from Wales to present a sold-out concert at the huge hall.  All singers had to memorize music and words, with half the songs in Welsh.  Later, touring Wales by car, they were toasted and serenaded everywhere: “David Williams” being one of THE MOST popular names in that country, he was related to everyone!  

During their 17 years in Florida, David and Jody volunteered as Guardians ad Litems (GAL) for abused/neglected children.  Loving music, they rarely missed concerts and socials of the Daytona Beach Symphony Society and Guild, sang in community choruses and in choirs of St. Mary’s (Daytona) and St. James (Ormond) Episcopal churches, and annually joined Christmas “Messiah” sings.  As “damn yankees” needing to learn about Florida and as committed lifelong learners, they joined historical societies, art and science museums, civic organizations, and frequented movies, lectures, theatre, concerts, festivals, college and university programs, nature preserves and parks.  David devoured The Economist, nightly watched the BBC and listened to NPR, intrigued by the many financial, clinical and political implications of the COVID pandemic and the 2020 election.  David & Jody hosted Evergreen Travel visitors, & became AirBnB “super-hosts” in Ormond Beach before relocating west to John Knox Village. 

        David was massively proud of younger generations, happy when hanging out with his children, grandchildren and Jody’s family.  Five of “Opa’s” grandchildren are now in college.  From his first marriage to Rosamond Kuehn, David leaves his daughter Katherine [“Kit”] Williams (Jeff Koechling) of Wayland MA, and son Charles [“Chip”] of Weston MA.  His grandchildren are:   Katherine Williams (21), a student in Elon NC, Brooke Williams (18) & Cort Williams (15), all of Weston MA; Zoe Koechling (21), a student in Clemson SC, and Philip Koechling (19), a student in Waltham MA, both of Wayland MA.  His loving step-family are Kirsten Coleman of Austin TX, Ian Jenkins (Dale) of Berkley MA, and their progeny ages 12-31:  Sarah & Russell of TX; Mercedes, Gabriel & Madison of MA.  He leaves in-laws Amy & Glenn Gottlieb of Houston TX, and a bevy of beloved cousins in the Bartol, Coe and Knowlton families.  In addition to people, David loved dogs, had raised golden retrievers, and enjoyed special rapport with cats. 

        No formal services are planned at this time.  Family and friends will scatter ashes per David’s wishes on Buzzards Bay MA, and celebrate a wonderful life with happy memories.  Cremation was by Cardwell, Baggett, & Summers Funeral Home of South Daytona FL.  Memorial donations may be made to the Daytona Beach Symphony Society (DBSS.org), or the Old North Church & Foundation (OldNorth.com) in Boston MA.   

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Psalm 107, King David.    They that go down to the sea in ships, and occupy their business in great waters; These men see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.  For at his word the stormy wind ariseth, which lifteth up the waves thereof.