Reginald Albert Williams' Obituary
Reginald Albert Williams was an adored son, brother, uncle and friend. He went to be with his Lord on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at age 59.
Reggie was born September 21, 1966 in Sacramento, California. He was the 4th child of Oscar and Lucille Williams. Reggie is predeceased by his parents, and oldest brother, Anthony. He is survived by brother Steven I (Andree), sister Barbara Steen (Arland), nephew Steven II (Delilah), and grandnieces, Feyisara and Sasa.
Reggie was a beautiful baby and a bit of a surprise to his parents, as he was born when Oscar was 44 and Lucille was 41 years of age. He was born with Down Syndrome and a large hole in his heart. Reggie’s ear canals were very small, which caused him to have difficulty hearing. Additionally, Reggie had a malformation in the main muscle of his stomach. Because of that, he could not keep food down. He could not gain weight and was at risk of being malnourished. Doctors advised that Reggie would never live past the age of 10, and recommended that the family not bond with him but place him in an institution for children born with these types of conditions. Oscar and Lucille would not hear of it, but brought Reggie home to live with the family.
At the age of 2 months, Reggie underwent surgery to correct the stomach issue. The surgery was a success and Reggie began to thrive. He was a very happy baby, smiling lots. When Reggie began to grow, he grew stout and very strong. Because slanted eyes are common in the Williams family, Reggie’s Downs condition was not immediately apparent to most. As he grew, that fact and difficulty with his speech became obvious. Reggie began speech therapy at the age of 3. He talked up a storm for a number of years, then he began to withdraw. Little by little, Reggie stopped smiling and he stopped talking. By the time he was 10 years old, Reggie rarely smiled or spoke. At that time, in 1976, autism was not a household word. People labeled Reggie as stubborn, spoiled or lazy. Little did they know that in addition to the difficulties associated with his developmental disability from the Downs, he was challenged by the isolation of autism. In Reggie’s case, the autism was accompanied by a variety of compulsive behaviors. Those conditions defined Reggie’s life.
Because Reggie had defied the doctors’ assumption that he would not live past 10 years old, it became their mission to improve his quality of life. So, at the age of 19, Reggie underwent open heart surgery to repair the hole in his heart. The surgery was a success. Because his heart pumped so efficiently, Reggie’s muscles were better oxygenated – which gave him more energy and made him even stronger. Reggie had the cognitive ability of perhaps a 3 year old, but was an adult and he knew it. Thank God Reggie was docile at least 95% of the time and he did attempt to be cooperative to the best of his understanding. He had a strong sense of self-preservation so attempted to be careful not to hurt himself, or let others hurt him.
Reggie enjoyed food (especially burgers & fries), books, magazines, caps, and had a love for slapstick humor. He loved Micky Mouse and Fred Flintstone cartoon characters. Exaggerated physical humor where a person slipped, fell, bumped their head or ran into objects really tickled Reggie’s funny bone. Unfortunately, he had the same reaction if he saw the same in real life….which could be problematic when around others who didn’t know Reggie or understand his issues. During his time in South Carolina, attending the Day Program run by Active Day Center, Reggie got his smile back. No one knows the how or why of it, but it was a joy to see. The smiling continued throughout his life.
Reggie’s funeral service is scheduled for 2:00 pm on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Premier Mortuary located at 5335 South 1950 W Street in Roy, UT 84067.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to the educational facility for developmentally disabled adults that Reggie attended while in South Carolina.
Checks or money orders can be mailed to:
Active Day Center
2111 W. Jody Road
Florence, SC 29501
Donations must bear the words: MEMBER FUND – REGINALD WILLIAMS
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