Malin Dee Williams' Obituary
Malin Dee Williams passed away October 20, 2021 at home with his family after months of rehabilitation and hospitalization related to injuries from a fall. “Dee” was born August 28, 1940 in Salt Lake City. His parents Elva Morene Hudson and George Bradley Williams raised six children of which Dee was the middle son and second oldest. He graduated from South High School in 1958 where he played football and was a member of the golf and ski teams. As a young man, he served a three year mission in the Cook Islands for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. After his return home, Dee married Dionne Carol Peterson on November 1, 1963, and later in 1967, he earned a Bachelor and Masters Degrees from the University of Utah to begin his 30-year career as a biology teacher and champion of public employees for the State of Utah.
Dee loved children. He raised two sons and a daughter and seemed happiest when he could lift up a niece, nephew, or grandchild. Early in his career, he decided to teach biology at Wasatch Junior High School where he ran a series of field trips that brought together his passion for the outdoors with his love for teaching students about the animals, plants, and geography of the Wasatch Front. During his 17 years as a teacher, Dee built a summer cabin with his brothers in a remote area of Central Utah. It was a place to hunt and fish, but more importantly, it was a fireplace heated shelter for playing endless hands of Canasta and a wilderness home for his kids to build make-shift forts and explore the forests, meadows, and streams of East Mountain.
Dee was a leader and was known for his exemplary work ethic. In 1977 he was elected by his peers to be president of the Granite Education Association and was elected president of the Utah Education Association in 1978. Later, Dee was appointed by the governor to represent teachers on the Utah Retirement Systems Board and was promoted to serve as Executive Director in 1989 where he made a significant and nationally recognized contribution to the financial well-being of Utah public employees for more than a decade. During his tenure, Dee contributed to the bi-partisan efforts to create a Secretary of Education cabinet position under the Carter administration.
As a husband of 58 years, Dee was an avid golfer, gardener, and travel companion with his loving wife Dionne. As a newly married couple, they bought a Volkswagen Beatle and toured Europe on a shoe-string budget. Together, they planned annual motorhome trips with friends and family to Disneyland of which he was awarded a 25 years of perfect attendance plaque from his wife and kids. When he retired in 1999, Dee and Dionne restored a farm house in Meadow, Utah and purchased a second home in St George to enjoy year-round golf weather and to provide a vacation destination for their children and grandchildren to swim, hike, and explore the landscapes of Southern Utah.
In addition to being a missionary, educator, leader, and family man, Dee was well-known for his distinctive laugh in movie theaters, his love of cars, motorcycles, westerns, murder mysteries, and his uncanny ability to problem-solve any house project.
Dee was preceded in death by his parents, Brad and Morene, brother Phillip (Sherry) Williams, and brother Elgin (Joan) Williams. He is survived by his spouse Dionne Williams and his three children: Byron (Angie) Williams, Deena Williams, Jay (Lisa) Williams, plus four grandchildren, five grand dogs, and his beloved dog BooBoo. He is also survived by his sisters Susan (Michael) Hatch, Rosemary (Brad) Frost and Rebecca Duncan.
Funeral Services will be held on Monday, October 25th at 11:00 am at the South Mountain 8th Ward Chapel, located at 1911 E Gray Fox Drive in Draper, Utah. A reception will be held from 10:00 am to 11:00 am on the same day and at the same location. In leu of flowers, please consider making a donation at www.k9sforwarriors.org to help provide highly trained service dogs to veterans.
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