Doris K. Williams, 97, a longtime resident of Moscow, died on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024.
Doris was born in Hinton, W.Va., on Feb. 7, 1927, to Ina and Dewey Keaton. She grew up in Hinton and after school attended Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va. In 1947, she moved to Athens, Ohio, and subsequently transferred to Ohio University in Athens to complete her undergraduate and master’s degrees. She married Thomas Williams, owner of Williams and Sons Construction in Athens and they had three children Bob, Ron and Nancy.
In 1965, the family relocated to Bowling Green, Ohio, in order for her to accept a position with Bowling Green University where she taught and held various administrative positions. During this time most notably, she completed her Ph.D. at Ohio State University, created and designed the Ohio Regional Training Office for Head Start and was recognized with a variety of awards for outstanding contributions to the academic areas of Child Development and Early Childhood Education. This includes a distinguished Alumni Award from the Ohio State University College of Agriculture, Home Economics and Natural Resources.
In 1983, Doris relocated to Moscow to take a position as director of the School of Home Economics at the University of Idaho. Later, she also had a position with the USDA Cooperative Extension. During her UI tenure, she was involved with research and various international programs such as president of The Partners of the Americans exchange program with Ecuador and the UI Women in Development Program. Throughout her career, Doris has also been associated with numerous consultant agencies responsible for Head Start training, technical assistance and monitoring projects. These experiences afforded her the opportunity to continue contributing to her profession, to travel widely throughout the United States and develop a broad array of friends and colleagues. Locally, Doris has been a member of PEO, Chapter CC and she has volunteered for a number of local activities including those related to the League of Women Voters and Gritman Hospital public services programs.
Most of all, Doris enjoyed being with her children and grandchildren. They have inspired and motivated her to be involved and improve the lives of all the people around her. Doris was thoughtful and generous to both friends and family throughout her life. She also enjoyed her many travels throughout the world on behalf of her profession and her favorite expression was, “Have suitcase, will travel!”
After retirement from the UI, she continued to consult and travel extensively. Her friends would ask her how long she was going to continue to work and her answer was, “As long and I can!” — and she did just that.
Doris leaves a son, Ron (Barbara) and three grandchildren, Geoff Williams, Tori Deby (Steven) and Warren Williams; her daughter Nancy Williams and grandson Mitch Williams.
Doris was preceded in death by her former husband, Tom; her parents Ina and Dewey Keaton; a brother Charles Keaton, her brother Dan and his wife Peggy Keaton; and a sister-in-law Polly, all of Hinton; and her sister and brother-in-law Ellen and Edger Wills, of Waverly, Ohio; a sister-in-law Betty Stauffer of Athens; and her beloved son, Bob.
Doris has requested her ashes be placed beside those of her son in Clayton, W.Va., family cemetery.
A celebration of her life will take place for a select group of family and friends as soon as her children can make arrangements. In lieu of flowers, Doris requested that contributions in her memory be made to Gritman Medical Center: Martin Wellness Center, 510 W. Palouse River Drive, Moscow, ID 83843.
