ROY WILLIAMS 1951 - 1985 PILOT PHX OMA DEN I was leafing through the Obituary page today and although I can't supply any specific date info, on many of the pilot's listed there is no info at all. My memory is far from perfect but I thought I'd pass along what I remember about some of these guys. Roy Williams: Roy was another line pilot who ended up in the training department and we were all the better for it. He was a good instructor and would take the extra pains to help when he could but would also let you work your own way out of situations so you wouldn't make that mistake again. Roy and Jack Gardner were good friends and were known to play some heavy poker, sip a lot of barleycorn and smoke a cigar or two whenever Marty Robbins, the entertainer, was in town. When Jack died, Roy carried his ashes to the top of Navajo Peak in AZ and distributed them to the winds. Not too long after, Roy's wife and son did the same thing for Roy. -H.A. "Frosty" Frost (11/26/99) That was super of Frosty to have gone through the names to recall some tidbits about some of the fellows who have Flown West. I will add a couple of comments to those pilots Frosty listed that I recall something special about. On the (unfortunately) long list, I will try to do that another time. "I learned a lot from Roy and Jack in every aircraft I flew at Frontier except for the DC-3 and the Twin Otter. Of course Jack wasn't involved in the MD-80, so that check out was with Roy. Frontier really did have an excellent training program albeit not well funded. It was the instructors we had that resulted in a savings in sheet metal costs!" -Billy Walker (11/26/99) Roy died 6/86 per FLRPA Newsletter, May 2001 -Jake Lamkins (5/15/01) FROM THE FRONTIER ONLINE CLUB MESSAGE BOARD Re: Super80 to Las Vegas....... I was also on this flight. The forward right escape slide was activated inadvertantly when a Flight Attendant had some item pull the slide landyard causing it to inflate. I believe she is the one that ran up the aisle like a bat out of hades. Fred Mangone leaped out of his seat & deflated the slide. Fred & I were MD-80 FOIS in the Flight Trng Dept. Capt Roy Williams (deceased) was the pilot . -Frank Meyers (5/23/01) According to the Social Security Death Index: ROY WILLIAMS Born 27 Jul 1926 Died Jun 1986 Age 59 At 80237 (Denver, Denver, CO) SSN issued in Arizona (5/25/01) RB Williams, Jr. Seniority date 6/11/51 He was #1 on pilot seniority list 9/1/85 Notation by Al Kendell shows "died 6/21/86" -FL/ALPA seniority list dated 9/1/85 (12/29/05) Just a sad note to let you know that Donna Hicks Williams has passed away this a.m. in a hospital in Sun City-- they will do an autopsy on her---- they think she had a massive stroke. She is going to be cremated & taken back to Helena, Mt. She was Roy William's wife- he passed away in 1986. She was a flight attendant. I think she started around late '65 or early '66. She was a few numbers senior to me. If I can find an old seniority list, that I have somewhere, I can probably give you a better date. I don't remember when she retired. I think she might have been there until the bankruptcy but can't say for sure. -Joanne Griffin (1/13/07) An interesting overnight was the one at Winslow, Arizona. The trip would get in about 2100 local time and originate 0700 the following morning - making all the stops to SVC and back to PHX. Crews that were interested in eating would have to do so at a local bar. Sandwiches and pop were served there. Lots of Navajo Indians would frequent the place and arguments would flare up once in a while with the, “...we are the real Americans.. . “. It was really interesting when I had Roy Williams as copilot on these series. Roy was one of few white men that could speak Navajo. As a young lad, Roy’s uncle ran the trading post in Tuba City just north of Winslow, where Roy would help out at the Post. He would be there every summer and dealing with the native Americans, picked up quite a vocabulary of the locals. When I first went into this particular bar one night to grab a bite, Roy was with me. There was quite a commotion in the back room and I felt a little uneasy. Roy seemed like just a little quiet sort but when he got up and shouted some words - everyone and I mean everyone - stopped and paid attention! Roy scolded several of the men and they all settled down. The owner of the Bar, by the way, was a distant relative of Roy and would just chuckle. (All I learned was, “Yatta Hey!” - a Navajo greeting as in ‘hello’.) One night I came in with Mel D’Loss. We were downing our sandwiches and by now I was acquainted with the owner. He would always ask about Roy. I think he thought we were truck drivers. Soon a clip board was being passed around and we were asked to print our name. I thought for a minute and put down, “Wilbur Wright” and handed it to Mel. He looked at it with a smile and wrote, “Orville Wright”. The next in line took the board, looked at it and asked, “Oh - are you two brothers?” (I almost choked on that!) -Ace Avakian, in the FARPA newsletter (Feb 2007) R. B. WILLIAMS, JR PHX copilot per 11/4/55 FL Roster. R. B. WILLIAMS, JR OMA reserve captain DOB 7/27/56 (error) DOH 11/11/51 per Feb 1960 FL Roster. R B WILLIAMS, JR Pilot seniority date of 6/11/51, #1, per the 9/1/85 FL/ALPA Seniority List. Notation says he died 6/21/86. Cannot find any Williams who died that date in the SSDI. -Jake Lamkins (11/3/11) Posted at the FL Club and FLacebook: Pilot Roy Williams and flight attendant Donna Hicks Williams Both their memorial webpages have been updated and cross referenced. Several new items found for both of them. Post your remembrances of this FL couple. -Jake Lamkins (11/5/11) Noticed you did not have a photo of Donna Williams. Capt Roy Williams and Donna Roy’s retirement flight in May 1985 Darel Lynn Ladd, Bonnie Dahl, Roy Williams, Camille Huisken, Sandy Whistler and Donna Williams -Bonnie Dahl (11/6/11)