WILLIAMS-JOE

Vice Admiral Joe Williams, Jr., USN (ret) died peacefully on May 15, 2015 at Kennett Square, Pennsylvania at the age of 92. His wife, Margaret, was at his side. He was a native of Magnolia, Arkansas and attended college for a year following high school prior to joining the United States Navy in October 1940 as an apprentice seaman. Thirty-seven years later, after holding all rates and ranks through Vice Admiral, he retired from the Navy. Among other decorations, he received the Legion of Merit with Gold Star and the Distinguished Service Medal.

During World War II, Vice Admiral Williams served as an enlisted man in the Atlantic and Caribbean, and after being commissioned Ensign in 1944, he spent the rest of the war in the amphibious forces through the New Guinea and Philippine campaigns. He ended the war as Commanding Officer of a rocket launching LCI (R).

After the war, Vice Admiral Williams attended Submarine School in June 1949 and later commanded one diesel and two nuclear submarines for a total of eight years. He served as Deputy Director Special Projects Office in Washington, the group responsible for Polaris, Poseidon, and Trident Weapons Systems. He then served as Chief of Staff for Submarine Force Atlantic in Norfolk, Virginia. Subsequently, he was selected to Rear Admiral and became Director of Submarine Warfare at the Pentagon. His next tour of duty was Commander Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia, the Navy’s largest shipyard. After being promoted to Vice Admiral, he finished his career with three years as Commander Submarine Atlantic Fleet and Commander Submarine Forces, NATO.

Vice Admiral Williams retired from the Navy in 1977 and for the next four years was Director of Nuclear Submarine Construction, General Dynamics. He left that position to form his own nuclear utility management firm, providing consulting services to various utilities. He served as Senior Vice President, Nuclear for both Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company and Toledo Edison Power Company.

While in the Navy and under Navy auspices, Vice Admiral Williams attended the United States Naval War College, the United States Nuclear Engineering School, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Maryland, from which he earned a B.S. in Business. In 1978, he was honored as outstanding alumni of Southern Arkansas University, which he had attended prior to enlisting in the Navy. He was a lifetime member of the Naval War College Foundation and of the Submarine Force Liberty and Museum in Connecticut, where he served as a member of the Executive Board.

Vice Admiral Williams was married to the former Margaret Smith of Cotton Plant, Arkansas and they have been living in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. He is survived by his wife of 73 years; his son Clark Williams of Pendleton, Oregon; and daughters Marcia Bohannon of Tarija, Bolivia and Susan Jo Williams of Austin, Texas. Also surviving are grandchildren Dr. Steward Williams of San Francisco, and Margaret Heil of Nahant, Massachusetts who is married to John Heil and has two children, Collette and Nathaniel.

The Admiral was a true patriot – he loved his Navy and his country and considered it a privilege to have served his country with honor for 37 years.