David Williams

David Welford Williams, Jr, passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of February 12, 2022 in Decorah, Iowa at the age of 80. David was born on December 23, 1941 in Los Angeles to David Welford Williams and Ouida Maie (White) Williams. David’s father became a long-serving US District Court judge in Los Angeles, and David’s mother was active in numerous charitable and community organizations. David attended local schools in Los Angeles, and received his college education at Stanford University in Stanford, California. David attended law school at Howard University Law School, in Washington, DC, where he was editor-in-chief of the Howard Law Journal and graduated cum laude in 1966. David returned to Stanford where he did graduate law studies in real estate leasing at Stanford Law School, and received a master degree in law. David Married Kathleen Peterson of the US Virgin Islands in 1965, and they had two children – Kaj and Kyrsten. Kaj lives and works in Los Angeles as a television weatherman, and Kyrsten lives and works in Boseman, Montana as a wellness Clinician and acupuncturist. David and Kathleen later divorced. Following law school, David returned to Los Angeles where he practiced law – initially engaged in entertainment law work representing numerous musicians, actors and screenwriters. After the stress and temptations pressing in the entertainment law industry, David worked for a number of years as a business and real estate lawyer. In 1989, David met Sherry K. Berg from Decorah, Iowa, who was then living in San Diego, California. Sherry and David moved to Minnesota where life was more wholesome and stable. They initially lived in the Minneapolis area. Ultimately David and Sherry moved to rural Preble Township where they built a farmhouse on acreage adjacent to the South Fork Root River and state forest land, and lived for two decades. David was elected a township supervisor, and served Preble Township for 9 years. David also became active in rural environmental work, advocating for and preparing local ordinances for counties and townships designed to reduce pollution and environmental damage from various industrial and farming activities. David prevented the mining of silica sand used in oil and gas fractured drilling in several southeastern Minnesota and northeastern Iowa counties. David was a longtime board member and chair of the board of Minnesota Environmental Partnership, a major Minnesota environmental advocacy non-profit organization. At age 75 when aging and illness had reduced his ability to continue managing his rural property, David moved to nearby Decorah, Iowa where he lived out his remaining life. David was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents. David is survived by Sherry Berg, his brother Vaugn C. Williams, New York, New York, his children – Kaj and Kyrsten, and their six children.