Fred Williams served as the Oregon-Columbia Chapter treasurer for many years, quietly spending countless hours attending to the financial needs of the chapter. Fred lost his long battle with cancer on Monday, June 11. His colleagues at Perkins & Company passed along this information.
Fred Williams joined Perkins & Company in 1990 when he merged his practice with seven employees into Perkins. He retired in 2010, but continued to consult with some of the clients that he served while working for Perkins. Over the years, Fred cultivated many friendships with his clients who respected him for his technical advice and for the care he took in paying attention to their business needs. Fred’s utmost priority was to provide quality service to his clients and he continued to work with a few clients up until two weeks before his death.
Fred participated in many organizations including Rotary, The Police Activities League (PAL), the Oregon Society of Certified Public Accountants (OSCPA), and Associated General Contractors (AGC). No matter where Fred went, he would strike up a conversation often resulting in a new client relationship. Anyone who met Fred always remembered him.
He tried to play the part of the “grumpy old man,” but Fred was also known as a softy. He had a very special place in his heart for his three grandchildren and loved to spend time with them. Fred looked forward each year to his annual fishing trip to the Alaska wilderness. In his earlier Perkins days, Fred surprised his co-workers by driving a red corvette to work…somehow that just didn’t fit with Fred’s persona. He was also famous for his “bring your own chair to sit on” parties which he held each summer at the house he had built in Barton.
Fred leaves behind his son and daughter-in-law, Russ and Rebekah Williams, who have three small children. He will be missed by his many colleagues at Perkins as well other business associates and friends he made over the years.