Donald Ray (“Don”) Williams passed away on March 7, 2025. He left the world much like he lived his life, quietly and simply, but leaving a mark on those who were part of his life. Don had many titles to many people, he was little brother to Loretta;Dad to Lance, Guy and Ace; Papa Don to his grandkids; big brother to Sharion; and simply Don to so many others. He was also the steady and quiet counterpart in his 35year marriage to Neoma.
Don was born on January 10, 1942, in Hondo, Texas to A.B. and Mona Claudine (Cunningham) Williams. Shortly after Don was born, A.B. joined the Army and served during World War II. Don and his older sister, Loretta, lived in Utopia, Texas with Claudine during that time. Loretta, Don and their younger sister, Sharion, moved with their parents to Iraan and then to Gaines County. Eventually the Williams family would settle in Yoakum County where Don attended school at Plains.
Don was a natural athlete, and he was fast! He played football, basketball and ran track at Plains High School. Don was a great running back and, as a junior, helped lead the football team to the quarterfinals in the Texas high school football playoffs. Don also loved to tell his family about running on the 4x100 relay team and how far he could jump in long jump.
Don graduated from Plains High School in 1960. He and his first wife, Nita Williams, had three sons: Lance Williams (born in 1962), Guy Williams (born in 1964) and Ace Williams (born in 1975). While they lived in Plains, Don farmed and alsoowned a restaurant, Don’s Fun Machine.He was also a member of the Baptist Church and served as a volunteer EMT.
Don later went to South Plains Association of Government law enforcement academy and earned his peace officer certification. He began working in Yoakum County as a jailer in 1982. Don moved to Castro County to begin working as a Deputy Sheriff in March 1989. Don served as a Deputy Sheriff in Castro County and worked under Sheriffs Lonnie Rhynes, CD Fitzgerald and Sal Rivera. Don served as a Deputy alongside individuals who would also become his friends, including Mitch McDonough, Billy Cox, Glen Snitker, Jerry Jansa, Mary Ewing, Augustin Perez, Jr., and Tom Taylor. As he neared retirement, he was thankful to work with guysthat he credited with “keeping [him] young,” including Matt Cowley, Michael Pantoja and Austin Dudley. Don earned several certifications during his time as a Deputy Sheriff,but he most enjoyed serving as the firearms instructor for several years. He also spent many hours with Mitch and Billy loading bulletsso that he could host qualifying shooting events. Don retired from the Sheriff’s Office after more than 30 years in law enforcement.
Don married Neoma Wall on January 27, 1990,in Hart, Texas. Don gained a daughter, Rachel Wall, and two stepsons, David Wall and Patrick Wall. Don made Hart his home andlived there until his death.Don was the family cook, and he made some of the best steak fingers, homemade fries, biscuits and gravy, fried squash and lasagna. He would often take a dinner break while working the night shift and cook for his family and his coworkers. Don’s homemade fudge was also famous in HaDon enjoyed growing a vegetable garden in the summer, reading books (especially Cormac McCarthy, recently David Grann, and almost any non-fiction books) and watching the History Channel. He read the Plainview Daily Herald from cover to cover every day. And everyone who knew him, knew he had a need for speed – he loved fast cars and drag racing. Don spent a lot of his free time in the garage working on his race cars, including his 1989 Pontiac Trans Am. And, when he was off on weekends, he would haul his Trans Am to the quarter mile drag strips in Idalou and Amarillo.
Don had big, loud and fast hobbies, but some of the things he loved most were the simple things in life. He loved watching his sons play football. He loved his mom’s cinnamon rolls and, as he got older, looked forward to “Granny’s Christmas” in December. And Don loved his dogs and taking his pups to ride in his Ranger every evening.