Gerald "Buddy" Williams

Gerald "Buddy" Hubert Williams, 82, a resident of Dozier, Alabama, passed away peacefully in his home on Sunday, August 6th, 2023, while surrounded by his family, after a courageous fight with pancreatic cancer. Funeral services for Buddy will be held at 2 PM on Thursday, August 10th, from the Chapel of Turners Funeral Home with Brother Stae Sanders and Brother Harry Sanders officiating and Stetson Sasser delivering the eulogy. He will then be laid to rest beside the love of his life, his wife Frances, in Hillcrest Cemetery with Turners Funeral Home of Luverne directing. The family will receive friends at the funeral home for one hour prior to the service.

Buddy was not a man to stay idle. He always had to have a project going. Retirement? Perish the thought! He started off as a farmer during his teenage years before moving on to Purdue Farmer. He would later move on to off-shore oil rigs and worked his way up to crane operator. Whereas most workers would build up a nest egg so they could enjoy plenty of leisure time afterwards, shouldn't it be obvious by now that wasn't Buddy's style? Instead, he went on to run Crenshaw County Lake for many years and became a road supervisor for the county as well. You know, laidback, easy type jobs, right?! In his "free" time, Buddy enjoyed not only building swings, but also picnic tables and ponds, including in his own. He would then make sure he reloaded a few hundred shells for turkey hunting and target shooting. And what Southern man can get by without a bountiful garden to tend to? The last few years, he had even built a long row of gourds near his house so that he could enjoy watching his favorite Purple Martins nest in them.

Notice a theme here? Yes, Buddy was happy with any activity that let him enjoy the great outdoors. His favorite activity though was finding a quiet place to drop a fishing line. He actually not only built his own pier, but the pond to go with it. Where did he get the fish you might ask, well, that's what fishing in the river was for. It wasn't all work and no play, however, as Buddy thoroughly enjoyed playing golf for many years (even when having to patiently explain to his family that, yes, his 70 score was actually the far better score even though it was "lower" than his friends in the 80s and 90s range). He also loved to cheer on the Alabama Crimson Tide in whatever sport they happened to be playing at the time and had a particular fondness for collecting arrowheads whenever he found them. Obviously, he was a humble man who knew just how special it was to be able to enjoy the simple pleasures in life the most.

Buddy was, without a doubt, one of the best people you could ever be blessed to know. You need help handing a swing? He's your man. Need a pond built? Call Buddy! Literally, he was #1 on the speed dial (as they used to say) for an entire host of family and friends who knew he would always be there whenever they needed him. That's just who he was. He was generous to a fault and never failed to make sure that those closest to him knew exactly how much they meant to him. Now, that did not mean he was going to call you for help. Oh no! Buddy was as tough as they come and was always determined to do everything himself. Yeah, to say he was a bit strong-willed might be an understatement! Still, there was certainly no doubt that everything he did was done in love. That's because his heart was probably the biggest part of him. He just truly loved people and knew how important it was to make sure they knew how well they were loved. You could count on getting at least one hug from him every time you saw him, and he would never know how many people that small act of kindness and love helped get them through the day. Buddy had a humble and quiet demeanor, but that didn't mean he couldn't talk your ear off if he had a mind to! He had a wide variety of interests and you better believe he had opinions about all of them that you were probably going to hear about. His charm and lovable personality, however, made that strong-willed, opinionated temperament of his just more endearing. His family and friends could spend days sharing stories about Buddy, each more entertaining than the last, but that only proves just how special he truly was. He wasn't one to fill up a pew so he could see and be seen, but he cherished his personal relationship with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and his loved ones know he is now reunited with those who went before him and happy in the arms of his Lord.

Buddy was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 61 years, Frances Williams; their daughter, Vicky Williams; granddaughter, Tiffany Moman; parents, Hubert James & Mary Lucy Garner Williams, and brother, Billy Williams. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Connie & Ken Moman; granddaughters, Kelly (Brett) Augsburger and Candi (Adam) Vann; great-grandchildren, Aidan Augsburger, Avery Augsburger, and Lucy Vann; nephew, Tony (Sal Lee) Williams; niece, Angie Williams; great-nephews, Chase and Blake Williams; great-nieces, MalLee & MyLee Williams; and a host of extended family members and dear friends whose visits were always cherished.

Active pallbearers will be Aidan Augsburger, Adam Vann, Tony Williams, Blake Williams, Chase Williams, and Keith Mills.

The family would like to extend their profound gratitude to the staff of Enhabit Hospice of Greenville for their excellent care of Buddy, as well as all of the dear family and friends who made sure he enjoyed the last year as much as was possible.