Donald Ray Williams, after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer, passed away at his home on July 21, 2007. He was born on June 17, 1937, to James and Opal Taylor Williams in Kay County Oklahoma. He married Mary Reeg Henderson on March 6, 1976.

He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Opal Williams. He is survived by Mary, his wife of 31 years, 8 children , Donna Permann and husband, Alan, Dee Ann Hanley and husband, Lee, Don, Jr. and wife Michelle, Deborah, Ann, Doris and husband, Paul, step-children, Porter Wyatt Henderson ,IIIand wife, Karen, Laura Wisdom and husband, Whip, 12 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. His brother, James and sister-in-law, Lynda Williams, his brother-in-law, Louis J. Reeg, Jr. and wife, Paula, sister-in-law, Bitsy Murchison and husband, Robert J. Murchison. many nieces, nephews, and cousins..

Donald attended public school in Sumner, Oklahoma, where he learned to love basketball and attended Eastern Oklahoma A & M College on a basketball scholarship. After graduating from Eastern Oklahoma A & M College, Dr. Williams graduated from Oklahoma State with a Ph.D. in Statistics. He served on the faculty at the University of Texas at Arlington, Oklahoma State University and the University of North Texas. At UNT he founded and served as the director of the Center for Quality and Productivity.

Donald R. Williams served as a process improvement consultant to numerous organizations and was certified as a Quality Engineer by the American Society for Quality Control. He founded Process Improvement Consultants, a management consulting firm specializing in assisting clients in the continuous improvement of their processes, products, and services. He served as a senior consultant with Process Management International, a Deming-based, international management consulting firm. Research papers by Dr. Williams have appeared in several leading professional journals. He wrote five textbooks in mathematics and statistics: three as author and two as co-author.

Dr. Williams worked for various aviation corporations as well as with NASA programs. He also worked with North American Aviation programs related to the Minuteman Missile.

As a member of the Dallas section of ASQ, Dr. Williams served on various committees and became a fellow of the American Society for Quality in 1998. He was a member of IEEE Consultants Network (Dallas Chapter), Southwestern Federation of Administrative Disciplines, and the Decision Sciences Institute, and ASQ Electronics Division.

As a member and Vice President of the Denton Christian Preschool board, Dr. Williams also participated as an active volunteer for over 25 years. He was a member of the ARC and he and his family were honored with being selected to receive the Family of the Year award in 1990. Dr. Williams was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he served as a teacher in Primary, in the Bishopric, on the High Council, and Stake Executive Secretary for 15 years. He served as an ordinance worker at the Dallas Temple for 25 years.

Always an avid sportsman, Donald played baseball, basketball, racquetball, and after retirement, golf, getting his hole-in-one March, 2004. For many years he belonged to a flying club and enjoyed flying to see children and grandchildren in Idaho.

Pallbearers are sons-in-law Lee Hanley, Alan Permann, Paul Ruelas. Whip Wisdom and grandsons Seth Permann and Erik Permann. Honorary pallbearers are Vaughn Andrus, Virgil Basgall, Jack Cannon, Robert Hall, Richard Ragsdale, and Mike Stolle.

The family extends its heartfelt thanks for the loving care given by Dr. Kevin McKinney, and nurse Rhonda, Dr. Michael Spivey and nursing staff, Ann's Haven VNA staff Karen, Robbie, Johnnie, Margaret, Roukisa, James and Jeanne.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, July 28, 2007 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 4501 Teasley Ln. Denton, with Bishop Calvin Griffin, officiating. The family will be at the Church, Friday, July 27, 2007 from 6:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. for Visitation. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Denton Christian Preschool, 1114 W. University, Denton, TX 76201 or to the Lorenzen Cancer Foundation in care of Laura Wisdom, 7956 Airfield Dr. Sanger, TX 76266.

On line condolences at www.mulkeymason.com.