Stephen J. Williams

Stephen J. Williams, 85, was gathered unto his ancestors on December 5, 2025.

Steve lived a long and full life of love for and from others that made those ancestors proud. A Roanoke man through and through, he was born to Virgil and Phyllis (Henderson) Williams in 1940 and graduated from Roanoke High School in 1958 along with his wife of sixty-three years, Sharon K. Williams, who survives him. He matriculated to Indiana University, and in 1965 he received his law degree, at which time he and Sharon returned from the Bloomington area to Roanoke, to raise their family there. Steve initially worked for Lincoln Bank & Trust Company. He entered the private practice of law in 1973 with Pichon & Williams. And in 1980, became a partner and pillar at Shambaugh, Kast, Beck & Williams, LLP. Throughout his career, which continued into his late seventies, Steve was a paragon of the estate and tax planning practice of law, combining an encyclopedic knowledge of significant parts of the tax law with an easy-going, straight-forward and genuinely simple approach to serving his clients and drafting documents. Steve cultivated innumerable deep friendships and accolades throughout his professional career, including as a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

Steve was also generous with his talents, time and service: he served for more than thirty years as a trustee of Ashland University; he was a long-time elder of the Roanoke Brethren Church; he was a 55 year member of the Roanoke Lodge as a Freemason and a member of the Scottish Rite receiving his 33rd degree; and at various times he had served on numerous boards and organizations in the Roanoke area, including most recently the Roanoke Area Heritage Center. He was most recently recognized by the Huntington County History and Education Center as the recipient of the Virginia R. Miller Award for his contributions to the promotion of historical preservation and education in Huntington County. 

It is impossible to do justice to all of the different elements of his one-of-a-kind personality, but we’ll try anyway: he was a voracious reader; he loved history, and particularly the Civil War and even more particularly, Abraham Lincoln; he was an endless trove of jokes (many of which should not be repeated ever again) and stories about one of his professional mentors, Willard Shambaugh; he was a really accomplished woodworker and as a kid who grew up in his father’s hardware store had every kind of odd screw or nut that you could ever hope to need; and there simply was not a way that you were going to out-work him. A graduate of Indiana University, he was a die-hard fan of the football program prior even to the Lee Corso era and is continuing, in eternity, to enjoy this moment. He installed a zipline for the pure enjoyment of his grandchildren and the extreme danger to his other party guests, and late every summer for the last twenty years or so he threw an epic summer birthday bash for his grandchildren. The party game and bounce house vendors will miss him dearly. 

At the deepest center of Steve, he was a family man. In addition to Sharon, he is survived by his sister, Jill Law, daughters, Jennifer (Randy) Pickard of Roanoke, and Rebecca (Mark) Zakowski of South Bend, sons Nathan (Amanda) Williams of Roanoke and Benjamin (Carrie) Williams of Fort Wayne. And by adoring grandchildren: Jack Pickard, Hannah Williams, Reid Pickard, Bethany Williams, Allison Williams, Samuel Williams, Zachary Zakowski Katie Williams, Becca (Brandon) Helmick and Connor Zakowski. All of whom have come by their generosity, joy, stubbornness, warped sense of humor and work ethic honestly.

Calling hours are at the Roanoke First Brethren Church, 415 S. Main Street, Roanoke, IN, on Sunday, December 14, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Monday, December 15, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, with the funeral to be conducted following.

Burial will be at a later date by private ceremony.

Preferred memorials are to Pathfinder Services, Inc., Community Harvest Food Bank, and to the Roanoke First Brethren Church.

McElhaney Funeral Home – Roanoke Chapel, 240 Crestwood Drive, Roanoke, IN, is in charge of arrangements.  Online condolences:  www.mcelhaneyhartfuneralhome.com

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