Donald Francis Williams passed away on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at Pana Health and Rehab. He was born on January 17, 1935, in Benton, IL to Claude and Mabel Williams. It was during his early years in Benton that he became a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and his boyhood idol Stan Musial. His love of baseball never waned as he always enjoyed watching college and professional baseball.
He moved to Taylorville in Junior High School and graduated from Taylorville High School in 1953. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Beloit University where he was a two-sport athlete. He received his Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Illinois.
After graduating from Beloit, he held high school teaching and leadership positions in Dubuque, Rockford, and Pekin prior to returning to Taylorville, the community that he grew even more connected to after retiring from his full-time role at THS.
A passionate and charismatic educator, Don would go the extra mile for any student that displayed an honest effort. His quick wit and positive energy made people feel welcome. His teaching style was influenced by his ability to use humor to disarm and connect as well as his ability to creatively communicate American History in an entertaining manner. Often, his history lessons incorporated the weekend exploits of students in his class much to the delight of those students that willingly shared the details of those exploits.
He was incredibly proud to serve students at THS from 1968 until his retirement in the late 1990s. Shortly after retirement, he was recruited to teach GED Classes at the Lincoln Land Community College Center in Taylorville where his passion for teaching was ignited again. It was a blessing for him to be in a flexible three-day, morning-only teaching role that allowed him to make an impact on many students’ lives while golfing as much as possible at Lakeshore Golf Course. While no one was ever able to confirm his actual handicap, many were able to confirm the presence of a bottle of Old Fitzgerald in the trunk of his vehicle for post-round beverages with great friends. He really enjoyed his time golfing and volunteering as a ranger at Lakeshore.
A lifelong learner with a desire to serve the community, he was approached by several city leaders to serve the Taylorville City Council as an alderman. He served on the city council for several terms and cherished the relationships with the mayor, fellow aldermen, and city employees.
Moved by watching his young grandchildren receive communion during a mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in 2013, he began attending 5:30pm Saturday mass regularly. His Saturday routine of arriving early to open the church, ushering with great friends, and going to the KC Hall after mass for obligatory post-mass beverages with more great people provided him with great joy. And he was both the willing recipient and enthusiastic giver of the vintage razzing he was known for throughout the years.
Beneath the humor and many one-liners (too many, actually) was a man who genuinely cared for people and cherished the many groups of friends within the community in which he lived for the last 57 years of his life. He never forgot his father’s coal mining roots and worked diligently on every task with attention to detail and great pride.
He was preceded in death by his parents; step-parents; sister Carol; brothers Robert and Bill; his son Bob Williams.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years Jean Williams of Taylorville, IL; daughter Tari Williams, Springfield, IL; son John Williams and grandchildren Katie Williams and Jack Williams, Des Moines, IA; niece Kelley Williams-Davidson, Springfield, IL; nephew Jeff Quinn-Hartley, Cincinnati, OH, and nieces Sue Tasset, Cincinnati, OH and Beth Allen, Nashville, TN; and nephew Colonel Mike Pierce of Waterloo, IL.
To honor the legacy of the educators at THS and in the Academic Wing, he will be laid to rest in the Academic Wing Uniform: khaki slacks approved by Bob Stephenson, and a blue dress shirt (no tie, of course) approved by Eldonna & Dan Herzberger, Jim Podlinsek, Mike Cambruzzi, Mark Stephenson, Frank Farr, and Richard Daley. These were just a few of the many exceptional educators with whom he taught.
A funeral mass for Don will take place at noon on Friday, November 28, 2025, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with Fr. John Burnette officiating. The visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until noon on Friday in the Church and burial will be at Oak Hill Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to St. Mary’s Catholic church or the Taylorville High School Sports Boosters. McClure Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Taylorville is assisting the family with arrangements.
