Joe Williams was my uncle. He was man full of exuberance and joy. The life he led was was fascinating and unparalleled. He was truly was one of the Greatest Generation. His stories were always engaing, laced with enthusiasm and never failed to disappoint. Whenever I walked into the room-he would say-"hello beautiful." I will miss his kind words and the rich resonance of his voice. We may have lost an incredible force but heaven gained a very special man.

Hello, First and foremost, I wanted to offer my condolences to the William's family. Joe was a tremendous man who I credit for getting me into drumming, back in 1972. And I have been drumming ever since! Yes, I have found memories as a child going to see Joe in his family when they lived in Chicago. They were really fun to be around/engaging. My family and I were blessed to see Joe about 10 years ago at his home in Washington, where his enthusiasm, charisma and genuineness were hallmarks of his personality. Joe was truly a remarkable man: from his time in World War II, to amazing jazz drummer and a wonderful father/husband/sibling/son/friend. Joe had a remarkable talent for touching all that he met; to resonate with them. I consider my life richer for having met this most wonderful man, who was a true credit to society, and one who really made a difference in life with all around him. God bless Joe, I thank you for all you have done/taught me. Sincerely, Roderick, Chris and Lauren Hamblen

Dearest Joe - Our friendship began 45 years ago when Diane and I worked together in Chicago. Your family invited me and my son Roderick for holiday dinners: Thanksgiving and Christmas. I so much enjoyed being with you and your family on those special occasions, and other times as well. You always treated me like FAMILY. You made me laugh; you shared jazz with me; you taught my son to drum and to this day he is still passionate about drumming. You were an amazing conversationalist and great listener, too. Your kindness and generosity stand out in my memories. You and Diane also taught my son and me to love and appreciate dogs and cats. You insisted on calling me Smitty. After your move to Lacey, my husband and I moved to the Seattle area for several years, and I was happy again to see you and Diane again on special holiday occasions. For 45 years I've been making your mother Octavia's cornbread recipe, and think of you fondly every time. Thank you for your service to our country in WWII. You have always been special to me; so happy to have known you. I am glad that you have lived a long and fruitful life with Diane - and that you were reunited with your "French family". You will always and ever be an inspiration to me. You were - and are - a one-in-a-million person. Thank you for the gift of your friendship. I will ALWAYS remember you. With love, Sharon "Smitty" Karam

I knew Joe for many years, first being introduced in Seattle when Diane & I worked together in the same law office. My greatest memories of him are when he & Diane came to our house so Joe could teach me how to train a stray dog I found, who grew to 110 lbs. As a puppy, I could see he would be huge and I was a little intimidated by what lay ahead-Joe put it in perspective for me by saying, "He doesn't know how big he is, he doesn't look in a mirror."! After that, I changed my entire attitude toward large dogs-our classes ended with my dog getting a B+ and me getting a C-! What I most fondly remember about Joe was his attitude toward animals and how he saw them-with compassion, love and respect as equal creatures in this world-would that we all lived with that belief-and carried it through to all creatures, human and non, as he did. He was a great teacher.

My heart goes out to Diane. . .what a beautiful but heart wrenching post. . .Monday I went to the Luxembourg American Century to visit Gen Patton's grave. . . you were both on my mind and in my heart. Sending you positive thoughts to get through this incredibly difficult time for you Diane. RIP Joe, thanks for our memories together in Seattle and Honolulu.

Joe, we are your French family as we used to say when we where together in France and you will excuse our approximate english. Joe we want to tell you that you are an extraordinary man. Extraordinary because of your special qualities, intelligence, tolerance, bravery, humor and so many others. We will never forget the good time we spent all together every time you went in France with your Family : talking over hours about your second worldwar memories, eating Henriette's creampops, visiting places where you fighted in the years 1944 and 1945... To my American Brother. Henriette. To our American Uncle. Geneviève, Jean-Pierre, Marcelle, Michel, Marianne, Etienne and all the children Joe, we will never forget you. Joe Thank you. Joe we love you.

I feel really lucky and honored to have known Joe. When I would visit from Chicago, he always enjoyed talking about a lot of people from back there with whom few or none of his friends in the Pacific Northwest were familiar. He was a remarkable and versatile man whom I will never forget, and I'll always treasure our time and conversations. My condolences and heartfelt sympathy for Diane and their son and daughter.

Joe was such an amazing person so loving and caring! I got the privilege to come help take care of him and he was so funny and loved his family and animals to death. That cat use to just lay on him it was so cute. Joe you will be missed and loved forever! R.I.P.

Joe, Thanks for the love, friendship, and sharing of so much knowledge over the years. You were part of the greatest generation and served our country with honor. You will be missed but we will always have fond memories of you. Rest in peace my friend. Our love and sympathy goes out to your family and friends. Carmen, Jim, and Walter

My Dearest Joe - Where are you baby? Can you feel my love? He was my North, my South, my East and West, My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song -- Wait for me. Your wife, Diane

Albert Einstein once said " Try not to become a man of success, but rather, try to become a man of value." When I think of my father, I don't often think of his successes: that of a WWII soldier who survived the brutality of an unimaginable battle, or that of an accomplished musician, who spent many a night filling the air with the floating notes of jazz that he and his fellow musicians would play to the delight of their audiences. No, I just think of him as my father. To me, he was the kind of person who had the willingness to forge new friendships with anyone who crossed his path, to teach them all he'd learned in his many years, and to take great joy when they'd finally mastered the lesson. His knowledge of things great and small was something to be reckoned with, and his quick wit and smile often caught people off guard, but he'd always leave them laughing. These are the things those who knew him best, as I did, will miss most. Looking back, I think I know more now what gifts he gave us all and what success in life truly is. Maybe, just maybe, it's not the things that can be written on paper. Maybe success is what you give other people. Those things they carry with them even when you're no longer around. I believe Dr. Seuss ( yes, THAT Dr. Seuss ) said it best for me when he said, " Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." Thanks Dad, for all the memories.