Paul T. Williams, 72

Paul Thomas Williams died Monday, Jan. 15, 2007, at St. Patrick's Hospital in Missoula, as a result of an aortic dissection. Paul was born Aug. 20, 1934, in Stamford, Conn. His parents were Harold T. Williams and Catherine Fairbanks Williams, both deceased.

Paul grew up in the Shippan Point area of Stamford in the Depression and Post-Depression era. After graduating from the Mount Hermon School in Gill, Mass., where he was a scholarship student, Paul went on to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., where he received a bachelor's degree in economics in 1956. While at Wesleyan, Paul was a proud member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon (Deke) fraternity, and held the positions of steward and scholarship chairman.

After graduation, Paul began a 41-year career with the Northern Trust Company, beginning as a secretary in the accounting department at Northern's Chicago headquarters in August 1956. Paul rose through the ranks to become a trust officer.

On June 9, 1962, Paul married Suzy Calkins — the same day she graduated from Pennsylvania State University. They honeymooned on Martha's Vineyard and then returned to Chicago, where Suzy took a teaching position in Wilmette.

Paul and Suzy had three children. David was born in 1964, just minutes before Paul's 30th birthday and the day after Paul's father's — filling a three-generation inside straight. Fraternal twins Matthew and Christopher followed in July 1967, after the family had moved to the suburb of Lake Bluff on the north shore of Lake Michigan.

While in Lake Bluff, Paul was David and Matt's Little League coach and served on the Village's Parks and Recreation board. He was president in 1974-1975 when the village built an Olympic-sized community pool and made several upgrades to the public golf course with a successful bond referendum that Paul orchestrated.

In 1976, the Williams family relocated to Coral Gables, Fla., where Paul began the second half of his career with Northern Trust in the downtown Miami office. Paul eventually was named as the chief fiduciary officer for Northern Trust of Florida, responsible for trust and fiduciary services for Northern's many offices throughout the state. Paul was known as a brilliant mind in the realm of trust and fiduciary services; a man of insight and vision who could see through to the heart of a matter with integrity, honesty and fairness to all.

Paul was also a soccer coach for all three of his boys, and was very active in the Rotary Club of Miami, serving as the chapter president in 1990-1991. An avid golfer, Paul was also an active member of the Riviera Country Club in Coral Gables, serving on several committees during his membership, as well as president from 1994 to 1995.

In November 1997, Paul retired from Northern Trust after more than 41 years with the corporation. At the time of his retirement, Paul was the longest-serving active Northern Trust employee.

In 1998, Paul and Suzy relocated from Coral Gables to Kalispell, where they built an award-winning home — designed by son Matt — that is spacious enough to accommodate the entire family during visits. The Williams family first fell in love with Kalispell, Glacier National Park and the Flathead Valley on a family vacation during summer 1980.

Paul's second career began after the move to Kalispell. Paul quickly became involved in local and regional organizations. At the time of his death, Paul was involved with no less than a dozen foundations, boards and organizations: treasurer of the University of Montana Foundation, member of the National Advisory Board of Grizzly Athletics, instrumental in the creation and continuing operation of the Northwest Healthcare (Kalispell Regional Medical Center) Foundation, where he was serving as the chairman of the Finance Committee, treasurer of the Flathead Valley Community College Foundation, immediate past-president of the Flathead Lakers, appointed by Gov. Judy Martz to the Flathead Basin Commission, newly appointed to the Glacier National Park Fund, and was instrumental in the creation of the Rotary Foundation of the Flathead Valley. Additionally, Paul helped found the Republicans for the Flathead and Flathead Republicans United. Paul was proud to have been inducted into the Grizzly Riders International this past fall.

Paul was known for his great intelligence, deep compassion, and absolute integrity, morality and ethics, in addition to his deep sense of community. He had a tremendous thirst for knowledge, whether it was the rules and mechanics of golf, which he spent his lifetime playing, or more recently the history of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and readily shared his knowledge, wisdom and experiences. Paul was never at a loss for words and commanded a great mastery of the English language. He was a true wordsmith, and avidly did crossword puzzles in pen.

Paul is survived by his wife, Suzy; sons, David, Matthew and Christopher, daughters-in-law, Jeri, Dana and Emily; and grandchildren, Erin, Emily, Isabel, Sarah, Samuel and Katherine; as well as his older brother, Bruce.

As life would have it, Paul's sons, their wives and the six grandchildren were in Kalispell to celebrate Suzy's birthday. Paul enjoyed four wonderful days and evenings with all of them before his passing. Paul leaves a host of friends and admirers, indicative of the number of lives he touched in his long professional career and tireless community involvement.

A memorial service for Paul will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, at the First Presbyterian Church of Kalispell, 540 S. Main St., with a celebration of Paul's life afterward at Averill's Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork.

At the family's request, memorials in Paul's name may be sent to: University of Montana Foundation, Brantley Hall, P.O. Box 7159, Missoula, MT 59807-7159; the National Advisory Board of Grizzly Athletics, NABGA Opportunity Fund, Brantley Hall, P.O. Box 7159, Missoula, MT 59807; the Northwest Healthcare Foundation, 310 Sunnyview Lane, Kalispell, MT 59901; the Flathead Valley Community College Foundation, 777 Grandview Dr., Kalispell, MT 59901; the Flathead Lakers, P.O. Box 70, Polson, MT 59860; or the Glacier National Park Fund, P.O. Box 5600, Whitefish, MT 59937.