Obituary of Richard D. Williams

Richard D. Williams, M.D., Rubin H. Flocks Professor and former Head of the University of Iowa Department of Urology, died on May 28, 2010 at age 65 following a brave fight against cancer. Dr. Williams was born on October 7, 1944 in Wichita, Kansas, where he met and married the love of his life, Beverly Ferguson. Dr. Williams received his B.S. degree from Abilene Christian University in 1966 and his M.D. from Kansas University School of Medicine in 1970. He completed his Urology Residency at the University of Minnesota in 1976, after which he received research training as a National Kidney Foundation/American Urological Association fellow. Dr. Williams was selected Chief of Urology at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center in 1979, and became Assistant Professor and Chief of Urologic Oncology at University of California San Francisco in 1983. Subsequently he served as the Rubin H. Flocks Professor and head of the University of Iowa, Department of Urology from 1984 until he stepped down earlier this year due to his declining health. His commitment to research aimed at improving patient care was central to his long and distinguished career. Dr. Williams was the recipient of many honors and awards and served in a leadership capacity for numerous professional organizations, including the American Urological Association, American College of Surgeons, American Board of Urology, National Institutes of Health, and the American Cancer Society, among others. He recently received the American Urological Associations 2009 Hugh Hampton Young Award for contributions to Urology as an educator, advocate for research and medical volunteer. Dr. Williams authored over 200 articles published in peer-reviewed journals, and served on the editorial board of many journals including Urology, Urology Times, Urologic Oncology, and the Journal of Cancer Management and Research. He was most recently honored with the dedication of Operating Room 15 in his name at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Dr. Williams has also provided direct Urologic surgical care to patients at the Hospital Lumiere in South Haiti for more than 20 years. He coordinated teams of surgeons, anesthetists and other care providers to teach and operate, and arranged for pharmaceutical and device companies to loan or donate supplies for his annual trips. For this work he won the International Volunteers in Urology Humanitarianism Award in 2005 and was recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2009. Dr. Williams was well known in the national and international research community for his efforts to develop a vaccine against prostate cancer. He was also widely recognized as an outstanding educator, training more than 70 residents and clinician scientists. Dr. Williams also was known to be a wise and influential mentor to faculty and others, thus seeding the Urologic community with many leaders. While Dr. Williams had a distinguished career, he was most proud of his family to whom he gave his deepest love. He is survived by his beloved wife of 45 years, Beverly (Ferguson) Williams; his cherished daughter, Wendy Williams Ellis; his golfing partner and son-in-law, Geoff Ellis; two treasured grandchildren, Mackenzie and Tate Ellis, who brought tremendous joy to his life; his parents, Wayne and Rosie Williams and his sisters Pennie Kennedy, Lana Farmer (Steve) and Polly Shortt (Noel). His brother, Bobby Williams, preceded him in death. A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, June 5th at 3:30PM at The Levitt Center for University Advancement, The University of Iowa at 1 West Park Road in Iowa City. The University of Iowa Roy J. Carver and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, the UI Department of Urology and the UI Foundation recently established the Richard D. Williams, MD, Faculty Fellowship fund at the University of Iowa Foundation. In lieu of flowers, the Williams family asks that donations honoring the memory of Dr. Williams be sent to that fund either online at www.givetoiowa.org/williams or by contacting the UI Foundation at Levitt Center for University Advancement, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244, phone (800) 648-6973 or (319) 335-3305. Online condolences maybe sent to his family at www.gayandciha.com. Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Services is caring for Dr. Williams family and his arrangements.