Frank Bellows Williams
1942 – 2021
Frank Bellows Williams, age 79, died peacefully on September 21, 2021, from complications of Covid. He is survived by his loving wife Parmele (“Parm”) of 53 years, sister Dorothy, brother Steven (Mary Ann), nephews Nick (Taylor) and Chris, sister-in-law Cheryl Dunn (Stephen Dunn, deceased), and nephew Roger (Amiee), and numerous cousins and their spouses.
Frank was born in Dallas, Texas in 1942, the first son of W. Nicholas Williams, Jr. and Elizabeth Bellows Williams. He graduated with honors from Highland Park High School, which led him to Stanford where he was a member of SAE fraternity and graduated with a BS in Engineering. Frank’s passion for learning and his boundless curiosity about people and the world beyond him was ignited by his six months at Stanford-in-Germany, followed by studies at the Goethe Institut and the University of Vienna, before returning to pursue his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Frank then joined Hewlett-Packard in Palo Alto, California, where he soon met Parm when she tried to recruit him away from HP to her company. While she may have lost out on Frank as a recruit, she quickly won him over as a loving partner for life. Frank spent twenty years at HP, but his greatest joy was spending the rest of his life with Parm. His career at HP spanned positions in personnel, manufacturing, and international, including his favorite assignment of two and a half years in Singapore where he helped establish factories both there and in Penang, Malaysia.
Following HP, Frank was vice president at three other high-tech companies before he and Parm settled in Santa Barbara in the early 1990s, where Parm started an Asian antique business, greatly aided by Frank’s keen eye for finding treasures (and a strong back for carrying them). Not yet ready to retire, Frank bought a small office equipment company (sales, service, and supplies) which he owned for eight years before retiring to enjoy playing golf, volunteering in the Santa Barbara community and traveling together with Parm through the US, Asia, Europe, Africa and multiple trips to Mexico.
Frank was deeply committed to helping people and serving his community. He was president of the Visiting Nurses Association of Santa Clara County and board member of the VNA of Santa Barbara; president and Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara; and a volunteer with Meals on Wheels, the United Way and the Santa Barbara Foundation. In 2014, Frank and Parm moved to their new home in Valle Verde.
Frank enjoyed reading, spectator sports (including UCSB Gaucho Women’s Basket- ball!), wine tasting and most recently walking his rescue dog Tigger (the Terror), who became an important addition to their lives, vying with Parm for Frank’s love and attention.
His life-long friends remember Frank for his kindness, wit, integrity, intellectual curiosity, his great love of family, and especially his courage during his recent illnesses. Frank always had a warm and welcoming smile for everyone. He lit up any room he entered.
A celebration of Frank’s life will be held at a later date. Contributions in Frank’s name may be made to the charity of your choice