Eric Jason Williams

Eric Jason Williams, 45, of Cedar Falls, died unexpectedly at his home on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.

Eric was born in Largo, FL, on June 2, 1979, the son of Donald and Terri (Westlake) Williams. At an early age, his family relocated to Cedar Falls where Eric attended Southdale Elementary, Peet Junior High, and graduated from Cedar Falls High School in 1997. Prior to his senior year, Eric enlisted in the United States Army and served for 4 years. During active duty, he was stationed in Germany, deployed to Macedonia, and was a part of the first unit deployed to Kosovo. Following active duty, Eric joined the Army National Guard, and was deployed to Egypt. Following this deployment, he worked as a recruiter for the National Guard, and as a chef during weekend assignments at the base. After his honorable discharge, Eric worked for Sears as a sales associate before earning his insurance license, working as a sales agent for Aflac. He was also the Manager at Doughy Joey's in Cedar Falls for some time. Most recently, Eric worked for Happy Liquor as the store's liquor manager.

Eric loved to golf, fish, and kayak. He was also unbeatable in paintball. However, his true love was cooking. From smoked meats to homemade spaghetti noodles, Eric could cook just about anything, and dreamt of one day owning a restaurant in Croatia. He enjoyed cooking for others and the challenge of working with various cuisines. Eric was also driven and hard working. One of his greatest accomplishments was quitting drinking and being 16 months sober. Not an easy thing to do, especially working in a liquor store. His strength and determination to stay sober even motivated his dad to do the same. Eric was a good man, friend, and father who cared immensely, and loved his family and friends. To know Eric was something special and he will be greatly missed.

Eric is survived by his children, Samantha and Steven Williams; parents, Don and Terri Williams; grandmother, Patricia Westlake; sisters, Elizabeth (Gregg) Thompson and Patricia Denning; and nieces and nephews, Jakob Albaugh, Cody Thompson, Brody Denning, and Sophia Denning. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Jerry and Mary Williams; and grandfather, Richard Westlake.

A graveside service will be held at Hillside Cemetery in Cedar Falls on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 10:30am. Full military honors will be rendered by the United States Army Honor Guard and Cedar Falls AMVETS Post 49 Honor Guard. Please join the family for a reception and lunch immediately following the graveside service at Orchard Hill Church in Cedar Falls. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the family for future designation.