Republic - Doug Williams, age 87, of Republic passed away Monday, December 8, 2014 in the loving care of his family and UP Health and Hospice.

Born in Laurium, Doug was the only child of the late Marion (Wiinamaki) and Fred Williams. After graduating from Calumet High School, he joined the military service and was honorably discharged from the US Army Air Force. He continued his education at Northern Michigan University on the GI Bill. Graduating with a major in chemistry and minors in physics and math, he began his teaching career in Republic. He subsequently taught high school in Hibbing, Minnesota and Marquette's Graveraet HS.

After his marriage to Olga (Mykkanen) Williams, he studied for one year at the University of Texas on a National Science Foundation grant, earned his Master of Science degree from the University of Michigan and continued summer graduate study at Michigan State University and Colorado State College. In 1965 he began a two-year posting with Teacher Education in East Africa (TEEA) to assist with the development of a chemistry program at Kyambogo Teachers College in Kampala, Uganda.

Upon return to the U.S., Doug continued his graduate study at the University of Texas in Austin, received his PhD in Educational Leadership, and taught in the Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, until his retirement as Associate Professor Emeritus in 1990. In his position he made a substantial contribution to the establishment of a quality system of junior colleges in Alabama. Professionally he was admired by his students for his competence, his high standard of ethics and his ability to guide them in thinking for themselves.

Doug had all but adopted Republic as his home town and enjoyed getting back to the family camp for summer visits and eventually making it his permanent home. Stricken with a Parkinsonian-like condition, he struggled with mobility but battled it fiercely without complaint for over ten years. Although a consummate family man and not a joiner, Doug enjoyed the friendship of many who will always remember him as a really "good guy."

Surviving are his wife Olga and children: Tara (husband Ken Ross) of Republic and children Taylor and Raina Gray; Cindy (fiancé Kudos Aikuzzura) of Monroe, NC, and children Joseph and Caroline Van Nort; Quentin of Auburn, Alabama and children Race and Randy. Doug was preceded in death by his parents and several cousins.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to UP Health & Hospice, 510 Mather Ave., Ishpeming, MI 49849 and the Republic Area Historical Society, PO Box 201, Republic, MI 49879.

Memorial services will be held at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, December 23, 2014, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Republic with the Rev. Kevin Kaiser officiating. The family will greet friends at the church prior to the service from 1-2pm.

The funeral service recording, when it becomes available, can be found here .