Dwight R. Williams

Dwight R. Williams, 86, descended his final ski slope on February 10, 2026, with his family by his side.

Visitation will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home. The funeral service will follow at 12:00 noon. Burial will immediately follow at Pine Hill Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to Café on Vine in his memory.

Dwight was born on August 23, 1939, in Davenport, Iowa, to Dwight F. Williams and Elizabeth (Turf) Williams. After spending many years together, Dwight married the love of his life, Brenda Jo Evans in 2002 in Colorado. He was previously married to Marty Huntington, and together they had two children, Lynne and Dwight. Dwight and Marty remained good friends.

Dwight will be deeply missed by his daughters, Lynne (Jim) Bullock of Davenport; Brenda Duax of Davenport; his grandchildren, JW Gray, Dwight D. (Jessica) Williams, Katelyn (James) Schumann, David (Salina) Williams, all of Davenport, and Aiden Evans of Colorado; and his great-grandchildren, Ava, Stella, Dalton, and Scarlett Williams, and Kayley Gray, all of Davenport. He is also survived by his mother-in-law, Eleanore Vogel of Colorado; brother-in-law, Everett Strawhacker of Davenport; and additional family relations Mark Ehlers, Bobby (Caveman) Larson (deceased), Allison Hedgepeth, and Mac Hedgepeth.

His grandchildren made him incredibly proud, each in their own unique way. Above all, his great-grandchildren were the highlight of his life and surpassed even his greatest adventures.

Dwight had an unending passion for the Mississippi River. Growing up, he shared many river adventures with his buddies John Stender, Dick Schmidt, and Jack Hertner – from "retrieving" car roofs from the junkyard to float down the river, to spearing carp with spears they made in shop class and selling their catch. His love for the river ultimately led him to purchase his pride and joy: a Carver Cabin Cruiser.

When he wasn't on the river, Dwight could often be found racing dirt bikes. He loved motorcycles of all kinds and rode a Harley for many years. Attending the Springfield Mile was a favorite tradition; he even traveled from Colorado several times to attend the event. He proudly converted his daughter, Lynne, and son-in-law, Jim, into fans as well.

In the late 1970s, Dwight took to the road in his 1970 Chevy van - affectionately called his "Hippy Van" by his daughter, Lynne. He eventually landed in Aspen, Colorado, where he became an official ski bum. Whether skiing into a pool or doing flips downhill, he embraced it all. Twisted knees and dislocated joints never kept him down for long. Dwight later settled in Evergreen, Colorado, where he built a home in the mountains. He was a member of the Idaho Springs VFW. He and his son, Dwight, competed in black powder contests and won numerous awards, becoming known as quite the father-and-son duo.

After high school, Dwight began his career as a Tool and Die Maker at Douglas Machinery. He later worked at Katridg Pak in Davenport. After settling down in Colorado, he worked for Cryovac in Denver. In 1995, he opened his own business Packer's Services, operating out of a small garage in Golden, Colorado. He single-handedly rebuilt meat packaging machines. With years of experience and a strong reputation, his business flourished, and he even shipped machines internationally

In 2015, after the loss of his wife Brenda, Dwight returned to Iowa and settled in Blue Grass. His great-grandchildren loved visiting him for golf cart rides and harmonica lessons. He formed special friendships with neighbors, and together they created the "Shade Tree Lounge" - a gathering spot beneath a large tree in his yard for happy hour and storytelling

The final weeks of his life were spent at Clarissa Cook Hospice. While it wasn't where he wanted to be, he still enjoyed his Crown Royal and got to have pie and ice cream for breakfast. He even thanked his daughter for getting him such a nice "hotel room." His sense of humor remained strong to the very end.

Dwight doesn't want anyone to be sad. He experienced failures, ups and downs, and many successes throughout his life. In his own words, "I lived a good, full life and got to do everything I wanted to - even survived it. I am at peace with it."

He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Brenda Williams; daughter, Lisa Marie Williams; son, Dwight David Williams; sister, Debbie Strawhacker; brother, Bruce Williams; nephews, Bryan Williams and Jay Pribble; and his parents, Dwight F. and Elizabeth (Turf) Williams.