Riley Lee Williams

Riley Lee Williams of Odessa passed away on August 30, 2025.

There will be funeral services held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 5401 John Ben Shepard Parkway Blvd Odessa, TX 79762 on Friday September 5, 2025 at 6pm. Please enter through the south doors.

A celebration of his life is scheduled Saturday September 6, 2025 at 4pm at Sunset Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home 6801 E Highway 80 Odessa, TX 79762. Followed by the burial.

Riley Williams was born in Levelland Texas to Thaddaus Thomas Williams and Lavania Eulila Baxter Williams on April 20 1947. He was the youngest boy of 10 children. His family moved to Odessa when he was a young boy. He attended elementary, junior high, and high school in Odessa Texas and graduated from Odessa High School in 1966. After high school he served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam war for 4 years. He married Darlene Kay Baker on April 21 1973. He graduated from UTPB with a bachelor’s degree of Fine Arts in 1976. He specialized in ceramics and was very skilled in the art of pottery. Later in life he generously donated both time and resources to the Odessa College and UTPB art departments. He worked many different jobs throughout his life but mostly worked in restaurants. He was a very talented chef and baker. He was known wherever he worked as a dedicated hard worker. He was one of the first franchisees for Wingstop and helped build the popularity of the brand in West Texas. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He loved the missionaries and generously donated the funds for several people to serve full-time missions. His love for the missionaries was shown by ensuring they did not go hungry, allowing them to eat at any of his restaurants anytime they needed or wanted. He also valued education and helped several people with tuition costs. Most of all he loved being a grandpa and would often take his grandkids on adventures all over Texas and across the country.

Riley is preceded in death by his father Thaddaus “Super Tom” Williams, mother Lavania Williams, his siblings: Raymond Williams, Harold Williams, Richard Williams, Roy Williams, Carylon , Betty Faircloth, Johnnie Boothe, and two grandsons: Riley Gary Williams and Rockwell Douglas Williams.

Riley is survived by his wife Darlene, son Riley Williams II, son Douglas Williams and his wife Anita, sisters Juanita Kennedy and Nina Rayne, and grandchildren Gracie Williams and Marley Williams.

Pallbearers will be Riley Williams II, Douglas Williams, Marley Williams, Donavan Vestal, Toby Williams and Daiken Asakawa.

It was Riley Williams’ wish that instead of flowers any memorial tributes be made as donations to the UTPB or OC art departments.