James Donald Williams, 85, of Springfield passed away suddenly on Saturday, December 26, 2020 at home. He was born on December 27, 1934 in Oklahoma City OK. The son of James Charles and Ellen Elizabeth (Nix) Williams.

He married his high school sweetheart Janna Lou Cain on Oct 28, 1955.

Graduated from University of Oklahoma in 1958 with an engineering degree and then from there went to work at McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis. In 1964 he went to work for the NASA Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake City, Texas where he was the Chief of Tech Services and from there he retired in 1991. James received the Exceptional Service Medal which is the second highest award in the NASA Incentive Awards Program and is granted for significant achievement or service characterized by unusual initiative or creative ability that clearly demonstrates substantial improvement in engineering, administrative, space flight, or space-related endeavors which contribute to NASA programs. James was also credited with such projects as creating the lunar hand tools used in the Apollo 11 moon landing and the EESS (Emergency Egress Slide System) for the space shuttles. Throughout his life he loved working on Space projects and other hobbies which included restoring and racing antique cars, playing golf, ping pong and fishing.  He loved his family very much and loved spending time with them all and he loved to travel with his wife Janna.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

James is survived by his loving wife Janna Lou (Cain) Williams, two daughters, Jamey Bunch and her husband Tom Bunch, Jill Webb and her husband Bob Webb, one sister, Barbara Jean Rowe and her husband Pete Rowe, grandchildren Anna Leslie, Cheryl Baxter and Kalie Brown, great-grandchildren Gwyn, Thomas, Julia, Brittany and Felicity Baxter, and Ellie and Evie Brown, and Patrick Leslie.

Celebration of Life service will be announced for the Spring of 2021 under the care of Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. Burial will be in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association, 2446 East Madrid, Springfield, MO 65804.