They edited out a bit, including one of the best lines, but here is what I sent the Post.

David Byron Williams
local builder, volunteer

David
Byron Williams, 81, builder of many homes and apartments in Northern
Virginia, died from complications of diabetes at Reston Hospital ICU on
May 29th.

Mr. Williams was born and raised in Martins Ferry,
Ohio. He entered the Navy at age 17 to fight in World War II, serving
in both the Pacific and Atlantic theaters. He received a Purple Heart
and the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for heroism when saving his ship
from a faulty depth charge. He was on the USS Pope when she received a
Presidential Unit Citation for participating in the capture of U-505,
the first capture of a naval enemy vessel since 1815. The captured
submarine is on display at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.
He fought at Normady, and later served during the Korean
War.

After
WW2, he married Mary Leatrice Roy of Mobile Alabama. There he worked
several jobs while raising twin daughters and going to Spring Hill
College as part of the Fulbright Program. He studied accounting, and moved back to Ohio when his first marriage ended.

He
married Barbara Anne Herget in 1960 and moved to the Washington DC
area. They briefly relocated to Alabama and then Michigan, but moved
to Vienna in 1973 and have lived in Fairfax County ever since. Here,
his career turned to building construction, where he worked for several
companies including Miller and Smith, and finally for himself. He
built many homes, businesses, and apartments in the Northern Virginia
area, including a Gino's Pizza, and the Circle Woods town home
development in Fairfax.

They
became Christians and joined Christian Assembly Center of Vienna in
1976, later moving to Shepherd Gate of Chantilly in 1986. Mr. Williams
dedicated most of his last 22 years to serving at Shepherd Gate. He
was a one time deacon, frequent volunteer, and "surrogate father" to
many of the congregation there. In recent years he has used his
accounting background to volunteer with the African Assistance Plan, http://www.africaassistanceplan.org , a ministry serving the nation of Ghana.

He
is survived by his ex-wife Mary Leatrice Roy of Mobile Alabama, his
wife Barbara Anne Herget of Reston, twin daughters Mary Davette Schurr
and Leatrice Davida Weindel of Mobile, son David Stephen Williams of
Mobile, son Trevor Owen Williams of Herndon, daughter Pamela Dee
Williams of Herndon, four grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

It hasn't been a great couple of weeks.  Although I haven't been blogging, I have been writing a lot about my Dad.  Between emails, the obituary, the eulogy, and the hundreds of thoughts in my head, I have perhaps a dozen or more Dad-related blog entries worth of material.  It will show up soon.  Much of it will just be getting my thoughts out and on "paper", I don't expect people to read it all. 

But then, that is true of my entire blog.  This is mainly just a place for me to vent.  I keep some entries private, but in keeping with my lifelong commitment to total honesty, share a lot of random thoughts here.  In thinking about my entries here, anyone reading everything here would would likely give up under the weight of the ton of mediocre entries.  I do occasionally write what I feel is a funny, or poignant entry, something reflecting the "true me" and that I am proud to share with my family and friends.  But most of this clutter is just me "talking to myself", keeping my communication skills primed.