Fairfield man worked long hard hours, but always made time for family
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Many of A.J. Liberoni’s childhood memories of her father, William Williams, are of how hard he worked to provide for his family.
“He ran a bulldozer at the Conemaugh Generating Station, and he’s run it in freezing temperatures so he could provide for us,” said Liberoni, a Latrobe resident. “He did whatever he had to do so Mom didn’t have to work. I remember him leaving on Christmas a few times because he had to work. We had Christmas on Christmas Eve one year because he was working midnight shift and didn’t know if he’d make it home for Christmas morning.”
William A. Williams of New Florence died Wednesday, July 10, 2019. He was 74.
Mr. Williams was born March 11, 1945, in Johnstown, the son of the late David A. and Jane. H (Stewart) Williams.
He grew up in the Ross Mountain Park section of Fairfield and graduated from Laurel Valley High School in 1963, before beginning a 28-year career at the Conemaugh Generating Station.
One night, at an old-time record hop at the Seward Community Center, Mr. Williams met his wife of 54 years, Darlene (McDermott) Williams. The couple were married July 9, 1965, at United Methodist Church in Bolivar.
“They were together 54 years and a day,” Liberoni said.
In his spare time, Mr. Williams enjoyed hunting for deer and squirrel, and his son Jack Williams of New Florence said he has fond memories of hunting as well as spotting deer with his father.
“We’d spot deer in my mom’s car, and then in the morning she’d get upset because the gas would be gone,” he said.
Mr. Williams also coached the Laurel Valley Midget football Vikings team for more than a decade.
Mr. Williams was a member of Ligonier Lodge No. 331 F&AM, where he was past master. He was a Navy veteran.
In later years, Mr. Williams made it a point never to miss any events his granddaughter Breana Liberoni was involved in.
“He was always on the hill for my tennis matches at Saint Vincent,” she said. “He was known for making people laugh and for his sense of humor, because he had no filter.”
Mr. Williams is survived by his wife, Darlene (McDermott) Williams; children, A.J. Liberoni of Latrobe, and Jack Williams of New Florence; and grandchildren, Breana Liberoni, Cody Williams and Hailey Williams.
A 1 p.m. funeral will take place Saturday, July 13 at Kenneth Stuart Funeral Home, 139 Ligonier St. in New Florence. Interment will be at Fairfield Cemetery.
Memorial donations can be made to the American Heart Association at Heart.org/donate.