Obituary: Eugene L. Williams

July 3, 1941 - August 11, 2011

Eugene "Gene" L. Williams a lifelong Nevada resident, and former Nevada State Fire Marshall, passed away on August 11, 2011 at his home in Carson City after a long and courageous battle with ALS at the age of 70.

He was born on July 3, 1941, in Winnemucca, Nevada, to the late Mary and "Buck" Williams. He attended Elko County High School and graduated in 1959. Gene served in the U.S. Navy from 1959 until 1963. While in the Navy he attended school in Great Lakes, Illinois, and was a Battalion honor man. In January of 1963 he was united in marriage to Vicki Gilbertson of Elko.

Gene was involved in several occupations, including working for House Hold Finance, Carlin Gold, Isabel Construction until he went to work for the Elko Fire Department. He left the Elko Fire Department as Assistant Chief in 1971 to work for the Elko County Northeastern Nevada Fire Protection District, and the Nevada Division of Forestry.

Gene's passion in life and career - was to help others. He instructed fire and arson at the Northeastern Nevada Community College, and was an Emergency Medical Technician in Elko County, among other activities.

He went to work for the State Fire Marshall's office in 1981, and relocated to Carson City, where he successfully lobbied for several public safety issues including the heart-lung bills, category 1 status for arson investigators, the elimination of fireworks statewide, and a fire retrofit bill after the MGM Hilton and Ranch House Hotel fires.

He was assigned to provide administration to several state agencies including; the Office of Traffic Safety, the Department of Emergency Management, the NHP Federal Projects Office, and was the Governor's Liaison to FEMA for the flood of 1997. He helped to get the HAZMAT section for the State Fire Marshall's office, and to get a criminal justice grant for the lab equipment for the Washoe County, and Clark County forensic labs.

He was a member of the State Seismic Safety Council, the Elko Kiwanis Club, the Western Fire Chiefs Association, the NFPA, and many Fireman's associations too numerous to mention. Gene received the honor of being placed on the Fireman's Memorial in Mills Park, in Carson City last year.

Gene was well known for being an intelligent man, a good friend, and a loving father. He is survived by his wife, his three sons, his five grand-children, one niece, and one great-grand son.

A private memorial will be held in his honor at his home in Carson City. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to ALS of Nevada. The family would like to give special thanks to the following for their support during his long illness; the ALS of Nevada support group, Circle of Life Hospice, Mike Kukulski and, Brenda Chapman of AMVETS, Dr's Timothy Louie, Lee VanEpps, and Steve McMillan, and Orwan from Home Health Care.

We love you, and will miss you dad.

Arrangements entrusted to Walton's Chapel of the Valley Funeral Home. 775-882-4965