William Raymond (Ray) Williams
William Raymond Williams (Ray) passed away peacefully on April 1, 2026, in Waterloo, Ontario, at the age of 98. He was the beloved husband of Sylvia Joyce (née Hicks) for 78 years. Born on February 4, 1928, in Niagara Falls, New York, to the late Walter Stanley Williams and Marie Anna Williams (née Andrews), Ray moved with his family to Niagara Falls, Ontario at age two, and later to Chippawa, Ontario at age twelve. In 1959, he brought his young family to Toronto, Ontario, and in later years settled in Ayr, Ontario, where he enjoyed his retirement. Ray was a proud and devoted father to The Rev. Canon Walter Stephen CD (Lorna) of Woodstock, New Brunswick; the late Norman Edward (Susan); Elaine Marie of Ayr, Ontario; and Joyce Kathleen Borkhoff (Peter) of Hespeler, Ontario. He was predeceased by his brothers, Stanley Norman and John Alan. Ray was a cherished grandfather to Evan John (Brenda) of Timberlea, Nova Scotia; Andrew Logan (Kaleigh) of Kingsclear, New Brunswick; Matthew Stephen of Fredericton, New Brunswick; Nathan James of Toronto, Ontario; Lauren Sylvia of Burlington, Ontario; Karl William Borkhoff (Hasnaa) of Mississauga, Ontario; and Sean Alexander Borkhoff of Hespeler, Ontario. A proud United Empire Loyalist, Ray held a deep respect for his heritage, descending from one of the founding families of the Port Perry area, and maintained a lifelong passion for genealogy. He dedicated 40 years to Ontario Hydro, where he was a pioneer in the early age of computers, helping lead the development of many software applications during a transformative period. Ray had a love of airplanes, sparked by a flying scholarship through the Air Cadets. He later shared this passion with his grandchildren and as a volunteer at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. A man of strong faith and community spirit, Ray was a member of the Masonic Lodge, served as an Anglican Lay Reader in Etobicoke and Galt, Ontario, and sang in his church choirs. He enjoyed road trips, electronics, and oil painting.
