Rex Alan Williams, age 54, of Coon Rapids, IA, passed away on Saturday, November 9, 2019 at his home near Coon Rapids surrounded by his family.
A Celebration of Rex’s Life will be held from 1 – 4 P.M. on Saturday, November 23, 2019 at the Burr Oak Visitors Center at the White Rock Conservancy east of Coon Rapids. The Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home of Coon Rapids assisted the family with arrangements and online condolences may be left for Rex’s family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com
Rex arrived in this world on a warm summer day August 18, 1965. He was the first of four children born to Richard and Cathay (Smith) Williams in Englewood, CO.
He enjoyed a happy childhood in Emporia, KS where he lived on an acreage next to his grandparents. He spent carefree days fishing, hunting rabbits, riding his bicycle and enjoyed a very loving, close knit family. He was found many times with a frog in his pocket and was known to raise a little ruckus at times with the Fowler boys.
In 1976 the Williams family moved to Littleton, CO where Rex attended Castle Rock High school. He then pursued a welding degree at Arapahoe Community College. As a teenager his passion was riding motorcycles and drag racing with his Pontiac Firebird.
He started his career sharpening saw blades for a local business, and when he finished his degree at ACC he spent the next 40 years as a precision welder. He also owned and operated several side businesses over the years including landscape hauling and snow removal, most recently as a dealer for used travel trailers.
On September 23, 1978 Rex made a dedication of his faith and was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In March of 1985 he took a chance on a blind date and met who would become his future wife Michelle Williams. Their romance blossomed quickly, and they were united in marriage on September 14, 1985.
They began their lives together in Littleton, CO where they were happily surprised seven years later with the arrival of their first son Dalton. Two years later they anxiously awaited the birth of their second son Dallas, then welcomed their precious daughter Deanna just three years after that. They continued to raise their family and share their adventures together over the course of their 34 years of marriage.
In 2003 they relocated to the family acreage in Coon Rapids, IA. They spent the last 16 years enjoying the country life where Rex was often seen around town driving his John Deere tractor. His favorite times were those spent with family hunting and fishing, and always enjoyed special annual camping and hunting trips to Colorado. He developed a hobby of collecting vintage barbed wire to create crafty art and was proud of his cowboy hat collection. Rex had a humorous habit of regularly quoting classic movie lines for the amusement of his family and friends, or to chuckle and look at you smugly if you didn’t “get” what movie he was quoting.
Many people asked what the name “Rex” stood for. Rex was as unique as his name passing down his passion for organization (Dalton), his love of trucks and motors (Dallas), and his keen eye for details (Deanna). He treasured the simple things in life such as a love for his mom’s cream puffs, enjoying a good slice of pie and wouldn’t settle for less than his dad’s homemade jam. He could be rough around the edges at times, but underneath the tough exterior, people loved Rex for his enormous heart, contagious laughter and quirky sense of humor. After a short illness, he fell asleep in death November 9, 2019 in the comforting arms of his loving family.
Rex is survived by his loving wife Michelle Williams of rural Coon Rapids, parents Richard and Cathay Williams of rural Coon Rapids, children Dalton (Erica) Williams of Coon Rapids, Dallas (Leah) Williams of Manning, and Deanna Williams of Coon Rapids; his siblings Marilyn (Galen) Cox of Conifer, CO , Keri (Aaron) Ritcheson of Eagle, CO, Kris (Stacy) Williams of Bayard, his father-in-law Roger Norbom of Granger, brother-in-law Michael (Tara) Bargas of Broomfield, CO, and his beloved grandchildren Hannah, David, Kaylee and Blair.
