Charles Lynn Williams

It is with greatest ache in my heart I have to write this.  My daddy, Charles Lynn Williams (Charlie) was called home Thursday, August 17, 2023.

Losing daddy completely in an unexpected way is unbelievably painful.  He was my first love.  My hero.  My roommate.  My savior.  My reason for doing any and all the things this past year together.

I have always been a daddy’s girl.  He always set the bar high in the way I expected a man to treat me.  I always felt safe and knew he was there if I were to fall.  My daddy was the most generous man who loved his family with all his heart.  He would do anything for us.  He made a way for me to be an amazing single mom to Logan by letting me live rent free all the years.  He never wanted me to struggle.  He said this evening on the way home “You know I’ve always been very fortunate to have the jobs I had over the years”.  My dad was completely self made.  He got his GED only to end up as a mechanical engineer with nuclear power.  My dad was the smartest man I ever known.  He has the most beautiful blue eyes on any person I’ve ever seen.  He was always grateful for any gift you ever bought him.  Even if he didn’t love it, you would never know it.  His jokes were always readily available.  He would joke with Blake and Tony every single day.  The nurses at any Drs’ office would also get an ear full.  He loved to make himself laugh and sometimes you.  He always tried to ignore the bad things that were going on around him by cracking a joke.  He was a protector, and if he loved you then you were under his wing of protection.  Dad never met a stranger but also never hung out with anyone outside of us (his crew).  My daddy was so full of knowledge and could tell you anything about everything.  He was google without using google.

He took the role of being a poppy to my son Logan extremely serious.  He treated him as if he was his own.  Logan became the son he never had. They would talk for hours or maybe just watch some YouTube together.  Any love Logan has for guns and knives came from his poppy.  Logan also took on the role of protector just as his pops did.  The man Logan is today is greatly impacted because of his pops.  Hardworking, driven, taking care of his family, and thirsty for knowledge. This is all my dad.

Blake and my dad became extremely close this year since my mom went home.  Dad had a lot of ups and downs health wise and turned to Blake often.  Blake also helped him and never once made him feel embarrassed.  I don’t know a single man that would go above and beyond to help my daddy like Blake did.  Daddy always joked about Blake loving Mac n cheese and would say “I was hoping you were going to make it” and Blake would put some on his plate.  That would be dads splurge every once in a while.  Blake would do anything daddy asked him to do and for all of the amazing service work he did we are forever grateful.  My dad loved Blake.  He talked to him when Blake went to him about us being engaged and my dad gave his blessings.  Blake was already family in my dad’s eyes.  He wanted the best for him and was extremely proud of him.

During this horrific time please keep us in your prayers, because this is a lot to bare for each of us.  We are all at an absolute loss.  This past year I have tried to do many get togethers and involve my dad, because I wanted him to have a great life.  He began driving again and getting out doing things.  We were going to make him join the senior center to meet new people.  He was never left out.  We have a little crew that hung out every week and go to dinner most Fridays and yes, daddy was very much a part of our crew.  Thank you to everyone that helped me this year to make his last days as good as it could’ve been without my mom.  Now they are dancing tonight together; my mom and dad.  I don’t know how I will do life without having any parents, because they always took care of me.  I am one blessed daughter to have parents who not only loved me and Logan,  but also  Blake too.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Phyllis Williams; mother and father, Mabel and Lloyd Williams; brothers, Shannon and Gregory Williams; sister and brother in-law, Reenie Williams and Harold Harless.

He is survived by his only child, Shanda Wade and fiance Blake Cranfield.  His second greatest joy, his only grandchild, Logan Wade.  His sister Barbara Harless, brother Lloyd Williams Jr., sister in laws, Carol Williams and Faye Hall and many nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, August 25, 2023 at 7:00 pm at Companion Funeral Service & Crematory, 400 White St., Athens, TN 37303.  There will be a visitation from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

You are encouraged to share a memory of Charles and/or your personal condolences with his family by visiting his memorial webpage and guestbook at www.companionfunerals.com. Companion Funeral Home of Athens is honored to assist his family with these arrangements.