Memorial Video: https://youtu.be/DRyFtYdO230

Alzheimer's Disease took the guy you knew and loved (or were annoyed by) a few years ago, but Guy Williams Jr's body finally caught up with his essence and left this earth on March 30th, held by his loving family and best friend's children, listening to Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire.

A resident of Ashland for 42 years, Guy was born June 23rd, 1940 to Nellie (neè Bickford) and Guy Williams Sr in Webster, Maine (what is today Sabattus). Guy grew up as their only child on the family farm situated on a street named for his father.  His simple country upbringing instilled a sense of duty, faith, family, frugality and tireless hard work, while also enriched by a friendship of his Cousin Ben who became his brother from another mother.  Guy excelled academically: he was valedictorian of his high school class, manager of the basketball team, active in the Sagadohoc Grange, and played trumpet in the high school band.  Guy was predeceased by his father in 1958 and so began his lifelong role of being the man of the house and caring for others in a leadership role and in his opinion, knowing the right way to do things all the time.  He was unafraid to let you know this.  Upon graduation, Guy enrolled as an Electrical Engineering major at the University of Maine, graduating with a BSEE in 1962 while working at the Warumbo Mill in Lisbon Falls in the summers.  After graduation, Guy immediately was hired by the New England Telephone Company and moved to Boston.  As he used to joke, he stood too close to a doorway and caught a draft: he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1963.  He did his basic training at Fort Dix, NJ and was then stationed at Natick Labs as an Electronics Specialist, working on cutting edge magnetic tape data records retention.  This was a familiar occurrence for those deemed of high intellectual capability and as such, and Guy never used his VA benefits or prided his military service, knowing that other young men went to active duty overseas in his place.  After being discharged from the Army, Guy returned to Boston and continued his work at New England Telephone where he met his best friend and future roommate John.  While working at the Telephone Company, he also met a cute colleague named Jeanne, they dated, during which time Guy trained and received his pilot's license.  After taking her up in a plane, Guy asked her to marry her in the air and she said she would only if he put the plane back on the ground.  Eventually they married in 1970 with best friend John as his best man and "brother" Ben by his side.  The growing families at the Telephone Company grew to love a Motor Homes and camping, every summer they would hit the road to Myrtle Beach South Carolina and in between saw as much of New England and the Tri State area as possible, with an annual Christmas Party that continues to this day.  Guy's mouth and shenanigans with his best friend may have gotten him kicked out of a campground or two.  If they weren't camping, you could find Guy in Maine, where he cared for his mother and frequently visited Ben's dairy farm, Augusts spent helping during haying season.  Guy and Jeanne moved to Ashland in 1980 after their post wedded bliss in the Saxonville area of Framingham, including jumping off their roof into the snow after the blizzard of '78.

After years of trying to expand their family, Jeanne and Guy adopted Erin in March of 1981 at 3 weeks old, after finding out they would become parents less than 48 hours earlier.  Guy was a dedicated father who brushed out wet hair after baths, played Sorry, Uno and badminton for endless hours, and taught Erin everything he could about home care, construction, and power tools.  He showed her that nearly everything in life could be fixed with duct tape, a coat hanger, and some hope.  He rose through the ranks becoming middle management at New England Telephone and would be on the poles with a hard hat and truck when workers struck in the 1980s, much to the enthusiasm of his daughter.  Guy's other jobs included dedicated service to the Federated Church community, on council, figure skating and then hockey chauffer for his daughter, being a stand in husband for Edie after John's death, and caretaker for his mother whom he brought to Massachusetts in 1988 and cared for until her death in 1999.  As the Telephone Company evolved to what is now Verizon, Guy took an early retirement, spending his first free summer touring colleges around New England and New York.  He and Jeanne were overjoyed to see Erin attend Holy Cross only 30 minutes away, where Guy became a fixture at the football tailgates, and never missed one of Erin's hockey games.   He's fondly remembered by Erin's teammates as their biggest cheerleader. Day trips to the Cape and NH, along with trips to Hawaii, Alaska and Portugal were highlights of the early retirement years.  The birth of grandson Chase in 2008 brought him and wife Jeanne both out of retirement to help raise him.  Guy passed on his love for camping to the next generation and enjoyed "putzing around" town in the Jeep, bringing Chase to church, Kidspot, Sunnyside, and the senior center, where he was also very active.  Guy was also a poll worker and was often the greeter on Election Day, helping voters find their precinct.  He did this until both Erin and Phillip ran for public office, switching his role to sign holder with pride.

Guy always thought he would go first, but sadly lost Jeanne to aggressive cancer in 2012. During this time Ancestry research revealed that Guy was the 28th Great-grandson of the King of Lombardy in Italy.  This only confirmed something we all knew all along: he was (sometimes) a ROYAL PITA.  The birth of his second grandson Griffin months after Jeanne's passing helped bring a light to this dark time.  In the decade since, Guy helped more at church and the senior center, enjoyed Sundays spent watching the Pats with family, camping, finding renewed joy senior activities with lady friend Gerry, and frequent trips to Maine, all while slowly in the background, Alzheimer's was beginning to set in.  A small stroke in 2019 set in motion the last two years of decline, hastened by diabetes complications.  The Guy still here has spent his final years being cared for at home by Erin and her dedicated husband Phillip, with Chase and Griff reading to him, playing chess or checkers unfairly and continuing Sunday football, but now for the Bucs.  Guy is forever indebted to his son in law Phillip, whom he gave a hard time for over a decade and still doesn't forgive him for not learning to drive the manual Jeep, but who was the most amazing caretaker, snack sneaker, diet coke deliverer, joke maker, and rock solid foundation that kept the family supported throughout the last years.  His last Spring and Summer on earth was spent staring at the lake in Belgrade Maine, watching Erin renovate the cabin with all the knowledge he gave her, enjoying the loons, seeing his grandsons jump off the dock, and dinnertime boat trips.  He leaves being a legacy of relentless hard work, good humor, intellect, selfless caring for others balanced with a hot temper, maybe a tiny touch of narcissism, and 23 dumpsters of stuff.

In addition to his immediate family, Guy leaves behind nephews Wade Karshis of NYC, Matt Karshis, his wife Kyoko and daughter Lena of Michigan, the Camping Family (Gaudette's, Kenyon's, Underwood's, and Underhill's) of MA & NH, Ben & Mary Hurd of Sabattus, and their children's families from Maine (Provost's, Gamage's, and Hurd's), his in-laws the McLaughlin Clan who loved him like one of their own, fake daughter and Erin's biological sister Bethany Wylde who as an EMT ensured Guy got gold star service at the Boston hospitals and kept both he and Erin company during his emergencies, and special friend Gerry Zablatsky, who kept him active and accompanied the last decade.  If he's where he was hoping to go, be happy for him and toast him with a scotch and water.

The family would like to thank Nivea, Lucy and Anna of AJ Homecare for their dedicated and gentle care of Guy and the family on the weekends for the past two years.  Their patience, concern, and tender way helped the family survive.  Also, deepest gratitude extended to Gina of VNA Hospice for her compassionate guidance the last two weeks.

A funeral service will be celebrated Thursday April 7th at 11:00am in the Federated Church of Ashland, 118 Main St. Ashland, MA.  Guests are encouraged to wear plaid in Guy's honor.  Visiting hours will be held Wednesday from 4:00-7:00 PM in the Matarese Funeral Home, 325 Main St. Ashland, MA.

If you would like to make a donation in Guy's honor, please consider the Ashland Food Pantry, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF.org), or the Alzheimer's Foundation (alzfdn.org)

https://www.ashlandmass.com/440/Ashland-Food-Pantry

https://www2.jdrf.org/

https://alzfdn.org/