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Lance Williams Obituary

It is with profound sadness that we share in the loss of Lance Joseph Williams PhD, who passed away on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017 at the age of 67. Lance was born and bred in the heart of Lawrence, Kansas.

Lance was a giant in the field of computer graphics and a gentle giant in life. Professionally he was recognized for his fundamental ideas, pioneering artistic contributions and for his generous and unflagging mentorship to many of the leading lights in the Computer Graphics community. He was one of the first people to recognize the potential of computer graphics to transform film and video making.

Lance graduated from the University of Kansas (B.A.1973) as an English major in the Honors program with a minor in Asian studies. He went on to study at the Institute for Humanistic Computing then at KU. From there he became aware of the innovative work being done at the University of Utah and joined the cadre of pioneers developing the soon to be known field of Computer Graphics (1973-76). Lance would eventually get his PhD by submitting three of his published "seminal papers" in lieu of a thesis. He was awarded his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Utah in 2000.

Working as a visionary Senior Scientist at Apple, Google, Nokia, Nvidia, DreamWorks and Disney, Williams led teams in the development of groundbreaking technologies of his own design. However, he is perhaps best remembered for his willingness and ability to make generous and meaningful contributions to scientists and researchers in a wide range of fields that benefited from his unorthodox and seemingly unlimited creative insights. In 2001 Mr. Williams joined the less than two dozen renowned scientists ever to be honored by The Steven Anson Coons Award for Outstanding Creative Contributions to Computer Graphics, considered to be the field's most prestigious award (thru the ACM SIGGRAPH), honoring his lifetime contribution of pioneering developments in the emergence of computer graphics and visual effects. Williams received a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2002 recognizing "his pioneering influence in the field of computer-generated animation and effects for motion pictures."

Those who knew him will remember his unfailingly polite manner; his gentle, erudite, and wickedly funny sense of humor; his incredibly creative insights on technological problems; and his seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of science, engineering, history, and art.

His brilliant, creative mind and humanity will be sorely missed.

Lance is survived by his wife Amber Denker and two sons, Mane and Zeph; his brothers Sean and Todd Williams, and step-father Robert B. Simpson. He is predeceased by his brother Bret Williams, mother Joan Joseph "Jan" Williams and father Dick G. "Skipper" Williams. He has many cousins that he loved dearly. He often commented that he could never have been luckier in regards to family. His family has shared its love and support of KU by fundraising for the KU athletic department since 1949. The athletic fund is now named "The Williams Fund" in honor of their contributions. Lance's family's connection to KU is legendary.

A celebration of his life will be held November 18th in Pasadena, CA. The "Lance J. Williams Memorial Fund" has been established at the University of Kansas. Donations can be made at: KU Endowment, PO Box 928, Lawrence, KS 66044. Or online at: www.kuendowment.org/LanceJWilliams

Published by Lawrence Journal-World from Oct. 15 to Oct. 17, 2017.
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Memories and Condolences
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6 Entries

I count Lance among my best friends, both in the sense of being dear to me and in the sense that he was one of the best humans I have ever known, in every way that counts. Brilliant intellectually, morally upright, a true gentleman, kind and thoughtful, modest, creative, generous and humorous, talented, a paragon in so many ways. As I have said elsewhere, I have loved and admired Lance for most of my life and would gladly have traded my life for his. The world would be better for that exchange. However, it appears that he has graduated from Schoolroom Earth, evidently having evolved about as far as one can before moving on to whatever comes next. I weep for myself and those he has left behind, for I (and many of us, I feel certain) will miss him for the rest of my life. My sincere condolences to Sean & Todd, Amber, Mane and Zeph, and all those others in whose lives his absence leaves such a gap. I know from our conversation over the years that he loved Amber dearly, and his boys beyond expression. I will always remember that at one point I saw a paperback book in a prison library--one of James Gunn's novels--which Lance had illustrated. Someone had torn out the page that was a picture of an angel--so his work gave comfort to someone in need of it. He seemed surprised when I told him, which was very like him.

"Good night sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

Marilyn Brune

October 24, 2017

A beautiful man,with a beautiful wife and two fine sons.

Bob Santini

October 22, 2017

Beautifully written and balm for knew he was a genius, still have deep heartaches for a brother, brother-in-law, sitting around a fire in Lawrence.

October 18, 2017

Dear Sean and Family, I've been out of town and just read your brother's obituary. I am deeply saddened for your loss! As we age, our siblings usually become our best friends, and I'm sure you and Lance were as well. I see a great resemblance to you from Lance's photo.
Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, my friend!
With Sincere Sympathy, Jan Brighton

Jan Brighton

October 17, 2017

Lance was one of my oldest and dearest friends, from the early 1960s up until his passing. I saw up-close his brilliant mind and knew that he was destined for greatness. I was not surprised when he won an Academy Award for his pioneering work in computer graphics. In school I used to sit at the desk next to him as his Rapidograph pen doodled designs of intricate precision, pointillism, and imagination. I still have a lot of his original artwork, letters, notes, postcards, and photos. We shared a love of music, photography, books, movies, conversation, and a readiness to laugh. I enjoyed working with his brother Sean at Keeler's Bookstore in Lawrence and meeting his family on Louisiana Street. Lance was generous and kind. He sold me his father Skipper's VW bus, as my little family moved from Lawrence to our new city of Austin in 1971. Lance visited here a number of times and I also saw him when we visited Lawrence. His friendship buoyed me through the ups and downs of life, such as the sudden loss of my mother and little brother in a 1974 car wreck in Lawrence, and of my dad, Bill Pendleton, in 2015. He had his own sorrows, including the deaths of his parents and brother Bret. I had hoped to connect with him this past July for our 50th Lawrence High reunion, but it was not to be. Lance's passing has broken my heart and my world will never be the same. He loved his wife and boys deeply, and I offer my sincerest condolences to them.

Helen "Hendle" Pendleton Rumbaut

October 17, 2017

For the sweetest, wisest soul of all my days and lands...and this for his dear sake;
Lilac and star and bird, twined with the chant of my soul,
There in the fragrant pines, and the cedars dusk and dim.
--Walt Whitman

Chris Saricks

October 16, 2017

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