In memoriam: Joe Williams

Joe Williams, left, speaking at a Dahlgren Trail event with Dave Jones, president of the Friends of DRHT, to his left.

Joe Williams, a former planning commissioner for King George County who originally purchased the abandoned Dahlgren Railroad corridor in 1997, passed away last month at age 90. A longtime resident of the county and an avid walker, Williams sold the corridor to David Brickley, its current owner, in 2006. He enjoyed watching its development into a prized rail-trail, led by Brickley and the nonprofit Friends of the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail.

Williams passed away at his home on May 12, 2020. He was a graduate of the University of Tennessee and served in the U.S. Navy prior to a career with the International Trade Commission in Washington, D.C.  He is survived by his wife, Susan, children Celia (John Herron) and Roger (Kim) and grandchildren Ella, Audrey and Ben.