Johney Lee Williams

Johney Lee Williams passed away on Friday, January 9, 2026, at the age of 89, in Waco, Texas. A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, January 24, 2026, at Columbus Avenue Baptist Church, 1300 Columbus Avenue in Waco. Johney’s family invites you to join them after the service for a reception and a time of sharing memories.

A native of Waco, Johney was born November 22, 1936, to the late Charles Calvin Williams and Effie Lee Davis. Johney was raised in a warm and joyful home alongside his parents, his grandmother, Ona Irene White, and Aunt Lillie May Davis, surrounded by a large extended family that included another beloved grandmother, Flora May Todd Williams. He shared his childhood with three brothers, Charles Bruce Williams, Robert Franklin Williams, and Clyde Davis Draper.

Growing up in Waco, Johney treasured his childhood memories and the people who shaped him. During World War II, his family often welcomed soldiers from Fort Hood for Sunday meals, a tradition he recalled fondly throughout his life. From an early age, Johney developed a strong work ethic. While still in high school, he worked as a machinist apprentice at Central Texas Iron Works and, by the age of 14, had saved enough to purchase his first car, an accomplishment he proudly recounted for years.

Johney graduated from University High School in 1955 and earned his accounting degree from the University of Houston in 1960. He went on to build a distinguished 45-year career as a Certified Public Accountant.

After retiring in 1995, Johney spent more than a decade serving internationally with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Peace Corps, working in Russia, Ukraine, Ethiopia, and Bulgaria, where he built lasting friendships and shared his love for people and culture.

An avid runner, Johney formed lifelong friendships through his downtown Waco running club, which began in the early 1970s. He also had an unquenchable love for travel, exploring much of Europe and enjoying numerous cruises throughout his adult life.

In his later years, Johney enjoyed real estate development, following the stock market, and spending time working cattle and land at the family ranch. His weekly video “Farm Reports” became cherished keepsakes for his family.

Johney was preceded in death by his first wife and mother to his children, Jimmye Sue Jones and later by his adored wife, Delores Eleanor Hart.

Johney is survived by his children, Craig Williams, Kelly Marsh, and Karan Watkins; son-in-law Brian Marsh; and his grandchildren, who knew him as “Poppa”, Morgan and Tyler Loven; Chloe and Brinn Marsh, Haiden and Harper Watkins, and Kendall, Clara, and Calvin Williams. He is also survived by his great-granddaughters, Anna Blake and Wren Loven, along with numerous other loving family members and a host of devoted friends.

Johney will be remembered for his curiosity, generosity, work ethic, and unwavering love for his family.

Johney’s family invites you to leave a message or memory in his “Memorial Guestbook” at www.WHBfamily.com.