Byron Lee Williams

Byron Lee Williams, 55, passed away on April 7, 2025. Byron is survived by his two sons, Brooks and Parker; father Lee Williams; parents Judy and Rudy Robinson; Grandmother Doris Williams; sisters Mary Kenter (Brad) and Rachelle Guerin (Chris). Byron is further survived by many aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews who loved him dearly. Byron is preceded in death by his wife of 24 years, Julie Williams, and seven loving grandparents.

He was a 1988 graduate of Westlake High School and received his Bachelor’s Degree in History from Southwest Texas State University in 1994, never approving of the “new name”. He and Julie married in April 1997 in Dallas, Texas. Together, they lived in three states but always called Texas home.

Byron was born in March 1970 on a snowy night in Austin, Texas and was the center of the doctors’ attention. They liked him so much that they kept him for three additional days.

As a child, he walked at 9 months setting the stage for excelling in sports but had a particular passion for baseball and soccer. He was always up for an adventure and at 6 years old he flew unaccompanied to visit family in New York. He loved learning new skills and to the frustration of his little sisters, he consistently caught on quickly. Byron enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping. When he wasn’t on the baseball field, he spent summers with cousins and grandparents in Texas and New York and Labor Days at Oakdale Park.

Byron was raised in a blended family that truly modeled that family can be represented by more than DNA. They joined Riverbend Church when it worshiped in Byron’s middle school. He was a member of the church youth group and later baptized when he was 14.

As an adult, Byron enjoyed traveling, cooking, dancing, playing sports, reading and spending time with friends. He always knew the score or stats for the Texas Longhorns, even when he wasn’t in the stadium. If the game was on, there was no need to have a seat for him. He was going to be pacing the floor. Byron enjoyed a good cup of coffee and his kitchen where he made his famous scrambled eggs, steak and lobster, grilled chicken or Big Papa’s stew. He was quite the chef and always part of the Thanksgiving meal crew. He loved to ski whether down a black diamond run at Keystone or on a slalom ski behind the boat. Byron had a photographic memory, a great golf swing, a mean ping pong serve and the warmest hug.

Byron spent most of his professional career in Advertising Sales. This industry, which he loved, took him all over the country. As a manager, he focused on one-on-one’s so that he could dedicate his attention to an individual’s goals and needs.

Byron made friends quickly and kept them for life. He truly believed he had the best friends who represented every part of his life. He genuinely loved them and enjoyed nothing more than spending time with them and loved ones whenever he could. If Byron was in the room, someone was laughing. He would tell the best stories, and either laugh with you, about you or at your expense. While he rarely talked about difficult things, he was there to support others during hard times. He never wanted to be a burden, just to help carry yours. He made sure to go home for Christmas and ended his phone calls with “I love you”.

Of his many achievements, he was the proudest of his two boys and loved being a dad. His biggest smiles were when he learned he was the father of Brooks and then Parker. His family can still see the grin on his face and his arms in the air as he ran to the waiting room shouting, “I have a son!”. He made every game, concert or activity of theirs that he could. He coached Little League and you always knew who he was cheering for when he was in the bleachers. When he wasn’t in Longhorn Orange or business attire, he was wearing one of his son’s team shirts or had their number on his back. On weekends, you could find him throwing a ball with one of the boys in between mowing the yard or cooking a steak with the game playing in the background.

Byron will be remembered for his enormous laugh, playful spirit and heartfelt connection to those who loved him. While he didn’t get to experience his “new knees” on this earth, his family knows he is cannonballing with them in Heaven.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 7th at 11am in the Smith Family Chapel at Riverbend Church in Austin, TX. In lieu of flowers, the family has set up the ”Brooks and Parker Williams Legacy Fund” through Frost Bank.