Clifford Williams

Clifford Williams, age 86, founder and president of International Sensor Systems in Aurora, died Tuesday, January 5, 2010, at St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln, Nebraska

Funeral Services will be held 10:00 A.M., Monday, January 11th at the United Methodist Church in Aurora. Dr. F. Cole Fowler will officiate. Interment will be in the Aurora Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 P.M. Sunday at Higby-McQuiston Mortuary with Masonic Rites at 7:15 P.M. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com. Memorials are suggested to Giltner Alumni Scholarship, the University of Nebraska Lincoln College of Electrical Engineering or Hamilton Community Foundation Clifford Williams Memorial Scholarship Fund.

OBITUARY: CLIFFORD W. WILLIAMS

Mr. Williams was the founder, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of International Sensor Systems, a custom hybrid thick-film electronic circuit manufacturing company in Aurora. He received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Nebraska and completed the IBM (International Business Machines) Advanced Degree program at Syracuse University.

He served IBM for 14 years in manufacturing, production control, sub-contracting, plans and programs and on the IBM Corporate Staff. As Technical Consultant to the vice president he was also a board member of the Itek Corporation in Lexington, Massachusetts. At United Aircraft Corporation Systems of Farmington, Connecticut he was responsible for information systems and programs.

In 1967, Mr. Williams was Co-Founder of TransCom, Inc. in Hartford, Connecticut. He served as Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President and Director He was made President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of TransCom after its sale to Hi-G Corporation in 1969. Mr. Williams brought to the marketplace innovations in data communications terminals and micro-technology. He was also responsible for profit and loss performance and served as Vice-President of Hi-G Corporation.

Mr. Williams received a Letter of Commendation from the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) and was an elected member of three national academic honor societies, including Eta Kappa Nu and Sigma Tau. He worked with four Nebraska Governors to bring high technology businesses to the state and was appointed to serve as a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Communications and Information Systems Technology and the Nebraska Educational Consortium. Mr. Williams served on the first Research and Development Authority for Nebraska and was subsequently appointed to the same post for several more terms. Mr. Williams was also Economic Ambassador to the Republic of China.

He was chairman of the Advisory Council to the Dean of Engineering at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln for the College of Engineering and Technology and was a senior and life member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). Mr. Williams was presented the Outstanding Alumnus Award by the University of Nebraska at Lincoln College of Engineering.

Cliff was instrumental in establishing the Edgerton Explorit Center in Aurora, Nebraska and served on its board of directors for many years. His lifelong friend, Harold (Doc) Edgerton also served on the board of Cliff’s company, International Sensor Systems.

Cliff served as chairman of the Hamilton County Democratic Party. He was an alternate delegate to the 1980 Democratic National Convention. Mr. Williams was elected a member of the Avon, Connecticut Board of Education.

Mr. Williams graduated from Giltner High School in 1941 and later served as founder and president of the Giltner Alumni Association. He served in Europe in the U.S. Army Signal Corps attached to the 87th Infantry Division during World War II. Cliff was a 32nd degree Mason and a member of the Scottish Rite of Hastings, Nebraska and was also a member of the Aurora Rotary Club for many years and served as president for two terms.

Mr. Williams was united in marriage to Loretta Olympia August on March 3, 1946. Mrs. Williams passed away on January 25, 2005. He was also preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Vera Huegel Williams and infant son, Steven Williams.

Those left to cherish Mr. Williams memory are his three children, Barbara Johnson, Ph. D. of Aberdeen, South Dakota, Patricia Williams Glee of Aurora, Nebraska and Matthew Williams and his wife Dr. Patricia Read-Williams of Auburn, Washington. He leaves three grandchildren, Katherine Glee Braddy (Todd) of Peoria, Illinois, Laura Williams of Auburn, Washington and Erin Williams of San Diego, California and his brother, Charles D. Williams (Donna) of Holts Summit, Missouri.