Wayne B. Williams

Wayne B. Williams passed away unexpectedly on April 22, 2022 at the Toledo Hospital. Wayne was born on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1955, to Janet Norris Williams and William E. Williams, II in Binghamton, NY, and grew up in Midland Park, NJ. While in high school, Wayne played football and tennis and sang in his church choir. He had a beautiful tenor voice and continued to sing in college and after, at times performing solos at the weddings of friends.

Wayne attended Syracuse University and SUNY: College of Environmental Science and Forestry, completing degrees in Paper Science Engineering. While in Syracuse, Wayne played rugby, sang in the Hendricks Chapel Choir and a barbershop quartet, and developed his culinary skills hosting countless late night dinner parties. After graduation he worked in management in the paper and tire industries before completing his MBA at Harvard University. He returned to management work for Bridgestone/Firestone, living in Spain and Italy.

Wayne married Carol Sargent in 1989, and they returned to northern Spain together. In 1991 he began work for Tenneco automotive, returning to the US and settling in the Chicago area. Wayne and Carol’s first son, Rowan, was born there. Soon after, the family moved to Houston, back to Chicago, then on to the Toledo area where the family welcomed a second son, Evan.  As Wayne’s career advanced with new opportunities, he went to work for Pulte Homes in Bloomfield Hills, MI as Group President, International, and then VP of Manufacturing. He continued with international travel for his work and was able to take an early retirement in 2008, allowing him to spend more time with his boys while they were growing up.

Wayne was a kind and generous man with an incredible memory, strong intellect, and good sense of humor. He loved deeply and was a loyal friend to many. He was always the first one to volunteer when anyone needed assistance. A creative cook, he took charge of the daily menu at home and could be counted upon to prepare a delicious, albeit late, meal. He was very proud of his sons and was their biggest fan as they participated in swimming, soccer, water polo, lacrosse, and Destination Imagination.

Wayne is preceded in death by his parents, his brother William, and his beloved dogs, Rosie and Kona. He is survived by his loving wife of 33 years and his two sons, Rowan and Evan, as well as nieces, nephews, and many cousins.

Wayne’s final gift was to strangers: the gift of organ donation.

The family would like to thank the ProMedica Toledo Hospital Neuro ICU staff: Neurosurgery, Neurology & Critical Care teams, nurses, and respiratory therapists for their attentive and compassionate care of Wayne and his family. The family is especially grateful to one of Wayne’s nurses, Stephanie V., for her time advocating for Wayne and educating the family. We also appreciate the support provided by the staff of Life Connections, who guided the family through the process of organ donation.

A memorial will be held on Saturday, May 7, beginning with a prayer service at 2:00 PM followed by visitation with the family until 6:00 PM, at Walker Funeral Home, 5155 W. Sylvania Ave., Toledo, OH 43623.