James Dean Williams, 42, died on June 17, 2010, near his home in Savage, Minnesota, following a sudden heart attack.

A cherished son of parents Jim and Audrey Williams of Park Falls, WI, he is survived by four siblings, Laurelea Williams of Sacramento, CA, Kent Williams (Karin Jacobs) of Medina, MN, Clark Williams (James Moore) of San Jose, CA and Libby (Michael) Jackson of Farmington, MN. He also leaves behind his beloved nieces and nephews, Amelia, Maddy, Caroline, Kayla and Gunnar.

Williams was born on February 22, 1968, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. After his high school graduation, he followed his lifelong passion for the Upper Mississippi River Basin and relocated to the Twin Cities to work as a deckhand for Upper River Services of St. Paul, MN. One of his proudest achievements was earning a pilot's license that allowed him to command a towboat on the Minnesota River.

When he wasn't working, Williams enjoyed all forms of travel and, in recent years, visited the continents of Africa and Europe and completed several cross-country driving trips to California. His love of books, film, history and politics spurred a successful writing hobby that led to several published (and yet unpublished) stories, articles and novels.

His loving family, friends, neighbors and co-workers held a memorial service on June 21, 2010, in South St. Paul, MN, with a private interment the following morning.

Williams had a fascinating job and multiple hobbies but he would most want to be remembered for inspiring screams of delight from his treasured nieces and nephews whenever "Uncle James" showed up to play.