Tommy “Darrell” Williams, 96, of Paola, left his earthly vessel behind for his eternal home of glory Tuesday morning January 7, 2025.
He was born on May 8, 1928, to Tommy and Luella (Farier) Williams in Kansas City, KS. His youth was spent in Shawnee, KS where he was a Boy Scout, worked for a truck farm, and helped raise his younger siblings. Football, Track, and Baseball were a large part of his high school years. Darrell graduated in 1946 from Shawnee Mission Rural High School.
As a family, they moved east of Hillsdale in 1947, where they had a dairy farm. Darrell would then be united in marriage to Maryanna Diehm on June 2, 1955 at her parent’s home. The couple continued to run the family dairy and became the parents of five children before moving to rural Paola in March of 1966. From 1965 to 1970, Darrell worked as a carpenter for Matney Construction of Osawatomie. He began working for the Paola Post Office in April of 1968 and would then retire after 25 years of service with them in 1993.
Darrell used his skills as a carpenter to build the family home west of Paola, with the help of his children.
Darrell and his father both accepted Jesus Christ as their savior while helping build the First Baptist Church of Shawnee. From then on he was highly active in that church, then Elm Grove Baptist Church in Chiles, and finally the family became members of the First Baptist Church of Paola. He served as a Deacon, choir member, Sunday School teacher, and many other capacities for all of the churches that he was a part of. He also served the community as a 4-H leader and, alongside his wife, as chapter leaders of the Miami County Chapter of Compassionate Friends and the Miami County Historical Society and Swan River Museum. Darrell was the president of the Paola chapter of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees, NARFE, for many years.
Darrell was preceded in death by his parents. On September 3, 1984, he lost two sons, Jeffery and Michael, then his wife, Maryanna, on September 28, 2009. He is also preceded in death by his siblings, Margie Voiles, Gene Williams, Judy Cripps.
He is survived by his daughters, Marcia (Jim) Cooper of Paola, KS, and Gwendolyn (Mark) Behrends of Lincoln, NE, and son, Kevin Williams of Neodesha, KS. As well as grandchildren, Sarah Giles, Leroy and Lucas Henning and great-granddaughters, Alexis Giles, Ava and Alexis Lopez.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, January 14, 2025, beginning at 10:00 am at the First Baptist Church in Paola. Funeral services will follow beginning at 11:00 am. Burial will take place after the services at Mound Creek Cemetery in south Miami County.
