Jack L. Williams

Jack L. Williams of Little Rock died on November 13, 2024. He was born on August 25, 1940, in Texarkana to Charline Person Williams and Walter Emmett Williams. Jack was well educated and well read. He spent several summers at Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana, as a member of the Black Horse Troop. He attended public schools in Texarkana, Arkansas, and graduated from High School there in 1958. A lifelong Razorback, he attended and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree. He was president of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and the Interfraternity Council.

In 1962, he married Walda Jean Wright of Texarkana. They made their home on his family farm near Garland in Miller County, Arkansas, and later in Texarkana. Jack and Jean were consummate hosts on the farm…from cookouts on the sand bars of the Red River to feasts of fried quail shot on the farm. And their parties in the farm’s barn were legendary, long before the phrase “barn parties” even existed. Even though their marriage ultimately ended, Jack loved Jean until the day he died.

As a committed farmer and cattle rancher, he made time to serve as President of the Texarkana Chamberof Commerce, and President of the Miller County Levy Board. He also served on the boards of Miller County Farm Bureau, Miller County Soil Conservation Service, Four States Fair Association, St. James Day School and the Texarkana National Bank where he was the youngest person ever appointed to the Board of Directors.

His father, the late W.E. Williams, was an incorporator of the Southwest Arkansas Electric Cooperative in 1937 and served as its first and only president until his death in December of 1973. Jack was named to the same Board in January of 1974 and served as Secretary/Treasurer until 1985, and as a board member until 1994. Between father and son, they served the rural folks of Southwest Arkansas and their electricity needs for more than 57 years.

It is often said “if you want a job done, then find a busy man to do it.” Jack Williams was a busy man who got things done. Expanding his local and county work, Jack soon deployed his considerable talent and indomitable spirit across the state. He served as President of the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association and on the Boards of Arkansas Soybean Association, Arkansas Fair Association, Arkansas Agricultural Council, Southeastern Pecan Growers Association and the Arkansas portion of the four state Red River Valley Association for the development of the Red River. Perhaps the role that gave him the most pride was his service as a Trustee on the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees from 1978 through 1988. Jack’s love of his state and his country compelled an even deeper involvement in politics. He served as Chairman of the campaigns of David Pryor for Governor in 1976 and for the U.S. Senate in 1978 and 1984 and was a tireless and effective “Arkansas Traveler” in the early primaries during Bill Clinton’s successful 1992 campaign for President. Jack, also served as President of the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Financial Corporation (CFC), a nonprofit cooperative in Washington D.C. that supplements the loan programs for electric cooperatives offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS), previously the Rural Electrification Administration (REA).

After being an Arkansas cattleman and farmer for twenty years, Jack moved to Washington D.C. in 1985 to be a full-time lobbyist for the next twenty years, representing Tyson Foods, Riceland Foods, Arkansas Best Freight, Arkla Gas and other major corporations on Capitol Hill. His time in Washington was filled with satisfaction, joy and, at times, challenges for him and his clients. But Jack’s commitment and loyalty never wavered. He was the kind of guy you wanted in your foxhole, especially in Washington.

Jack grew up in and was an active member of First United Methodist Church in Texarkana, Arkansas, where he served as an usher. In later years, Jack loved the Sunday sermons of his nephew, the Reverend Thompson Murray. An avid Razorback fan, Jack was a member of the University of Arkansas Razorback Foundation for over fifty years. His favorite gameday early morning activity was to call his children and grandchildren to remind them to “get your mind on the game”. His favorite annual event was the family gathering in Fayetteville for a Razorback home football game, where the whole family would gather, including Rev. Murray (and his wife Sharla Chalfant), his other nieces and nephews, Martha Jane Murray (and husband Neil Munro), Rodney Landes Jr. (and wife Linda), Roger Landes (and wife Shelley), as well as their children and friends.

He loved simple connections too, whether delivering homemade sourdough bread and pecans from the family orchard to friends in Texarkana or dropping off boxes of fresh tomatoes to friends in Little Rock. If you were on Jack’s phone list, you could count on a regular call from Jack who found a way to stay in touch with friends and family from his home or his car, even before mobile phones were common. He also loved the water and was never very far from a boat, whether water skiing in Hot Springs, sightseeing on the Potomac River, captaining his cruiser along the Eastern Shore or down the inter coastal waterway or taking his grandchildren to see the lock system on the Arkansas River. He loved cruising the Bay of Biscayne and playing tennis daily during his time at the Jockey Club in Miami. He was an eager outdoorsman and had many great adventures with family and close friends including transiting the Panama Canal, deep sea fishing off the coasts of Mexico and Central America, and duck hunting in Stuttgart.

He is survived by two children, Whitney Williams Grogan, (and her husband R.J. Grogan, Jr.) of Dallas and Walter Jackson Williams of Fayetteville, as well as two beloved grandchildren, William Wexford Grogan and Alexandra Grace Williams, and his “inherited” grandsons, Reed Tucker Grogan and George Trent Grogan. He is predeceased by his parents as well as his sisters, Helen Williams Landes formerly of El Dorado, and Martha Williams Murray formerly of Wynne. Jack’s life was extended by many years in the care of two very special people, Patsy Hogue and Shawn Thompson. Their loving care, along with assistance from Kirby Webb, enabled Jack to live at home in Little Rock until the end of his life.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, November 21st at 11:00am at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church, 4823 Woodlawn Drive, Little Rock.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Mount Sequoyah Center, 150 N. Skyline Drive, Fayetteville, AR 72701 or https://mountsequoyah.networkforgood.com/projects/222589-help-preserve-your-history

Whether in Texarkana, Washington, Florida, Little Rock or Fayetteville, Jack’s most precious and greatest joy was spending time with his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and friends. Jack cared about people and worked to make his state and his country a better place. He will be remembered by all who know him as a kind and generous person. A “true gentleman” until the end, his loyalty was steadfast and unshakable. If he was your friend, he would be your friend through good times and bad without regard to personal costs to him. And for those friends who benefited from this loyalty, it was an irreplaceable gift that he gave happily and with pride. He was one of the good guys. Our world, a little less bright today, is lucky to have had Jack Williams.

Arrangements by Arkansas Cremation, 10515 W Markham St, Suite B1, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205. If you would like to leave a message of condolence to the family, you may do so using the Guestbook section.

www.arkansascremation.com