Richard Edgar Williams

Nov 12, 1939 -

Nov 29, 2020

Local dentist Dr. Richard E. Williams passed away on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020, in Bend, Ore., at age 81. "Dick," as he was known, fought a valiant battle with a type of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), living every day with courage and a sense of humor, never complaining.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pa., Dick grew up in southern California where as an Eagle Scout, he had the honor of attending Disneyland on the day of its grand opening. He completed his undergraduate education at UC Riverside and later graduated from USC's School of Dentistry. In 1965, he moved to Alaska, where all of his children were born and he managed a successful dental practice for over 40 years. Constantly striving for excellence in his practice, he continued his education adding new areas of specialized dentistry throughout his career. He loved Alaska and enjoyed exploring its wild beauty. Always challenging himself, he ran a Boston-qualifying Mayors Midnight Sun marathon, volunteered with charitable organizations and was nearly always taking at least one college course on some unique new subject. His seemingly endless energy and curiosity brought him around the world: walking on the Great Wall of China, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and traveling to six of the seven continents, including trips to Colombia, Papua New Guinea and Nepal, where he helped perform charity dental work for local residents. Dick led a busy life, but family was always a priority. He created unique, memorable experiences for his children by taking them hiking, sailing, fishing, rafting, bicycling across the United States, or just singing songs and playing games on road trips.

He is survived by his brother, Dennis of California; and his four children, Christine of Alaska, Meredith of Oregon, Keith of California, Bryce of Texas.

Dick touched the lives of many people. Donations in his honor may be made to the ALS Association of Oregon: http://www.alsoregon.org/williams.