Bill Williams, 75, dies

Former Rep. Bill Williams has died. He was 75 years old.

Williams was born in Ketchikan in 1943, and lived in Ketchikan and Saxman. He graduated with the Ketchikan High School Class of 1962.

Williams represented then-House District 1 in the Alaska House of Representatives from 1993 to 2004. He also served on the Saxman City Council and as mayor of Saxman, and worked as a longshoreman.

In a statement released Sunday, Sen. Bert Stedman of Sitka noted that Williams was a strong voice for Southeast and rural Alaska. He writes that Williams was known for his work with state and federal officials, and was a strong voice for Alaska Native issues such as subsistence rights.

Stedman says, “In the Capitol, Bill was known for keeping his word and putting Alaska’s interests above politics.”