Dennis Michael Williams

Dennis M. (“Mike”) Williams, 72, passed away Friday, July 26, 2019 at his residence in Riverbank, CA. Mike was born on September 29, 1946, in Wyandotte, MI; to Mervin Williams of Worthington, MN and Mary (Fountaine) Williams of Sioux City, IA.  After graduating Righetti High School in Santa Maria in 1964, Mike enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was a proud veteran of the Vietnam War. After completion of his military service, Mike met and married his wife, Sandra in 1969 in Arroyo Grande; he and Sandra were married for 49 years.  In 1970 Mike and Sandra bought a home in Nipomo, CA.  Mike worked for Union Sugar Company in 1975, (later Holly Sugar Company) in Santa Maria, CA as an engineer.  In 1990, Mike and Sandra moved to Modesto where Mike worked as an engineer for San-I-Pak Pacific in Tracy until his retirement in 2012. A few years after retiring, Mike and Sandra moved to Riverbank.As lead engineer for San-I-Pak for over 30 years, Mike, (or Dennis as he was known at work), was instrumental in the design and the improvement of existing designs of advanced sterilization equipment.  His love for engineering was deep, and he derived great satisfaction in creating a one-of-a-kind autoclave that made San-I-Pak a well-known name in the industry.When living in Nipomo, Mike enjoyed playing a bass guitar in a band on the weekends at various locations in the area including the Santa Maria VFW Hall. Mike enjoyed camping trips with his family, watching TV documentaries about dinosaurs and historical topics, lying in the sun in the backyard and swimming in the pool. Mike and Sandra visited Hawaii and went on different cruises to Mexico. Mike was a genuinely nice person with a corny sense of humor enjoyed by everyone who knew him.   Though none of the children he raised were his own, he loved and cared for them through the years as if they were, and in return he was dearly loved, respected and cherished by them as well as by his friends, extended family and co-workers.Beside his wife, Sandra, Mike is survived by his daughters, RoseAnn Hill (David), Laurie Sarno (David), and Rosalee Boggs, sons Robert Williams and Richard Lucas, granddaughters Crystalin Boggs Russell (Skip) and Nichole Sarno, grandsons Jeremiah Childress, Nyle Schletter and Eric Schletter and great-grandsons Edward Childress, Dominic Childress, and Joseph Schletter.  A Veteran’s commitment ceremony will be held on August 12 at 1 PM at the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Santa Nella.  A Celebration of Life will be held on October 12, 2019 at Riverbank residence.  

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