Obituary of Richard Williams

Dick followed his dreams and lived his passion for fast hot rods and speed boats, creating most everything out of fiberglass in a business he founded, Poli-Form Industries. A native of Santa Cruz, born June 14, 1934 to Willis and Marguerite (Comfort) Williams. He married Peggy (Thompson) Williams in Kansas City, Kansas on September 14, 1957. Dick and Peggy raised four children, Lynda Grove, Stephen, Michelle Corbiere, and Scott. Dick and Peggy's grandchildren are Alisha & Shawna Grove, Nicole (Corbiere) Gale, and Megan and Logan Corbiere. He is preceded in death by his daughter Michelle Corbiere (who passed away of a quick acting rare cancer, July 31, 2016,) his brothers David Willis Williams and Willis Lloyd Williams (who died at 1 day old,) and his parents. Richard "Dick" Leroy Williams died peacefully from complications of Multiple System Atrophy on December 11, 2017 at the age of 83 1/2 in Capitola, Calif. He was buried December 28th at a private family gathering at Oakwood Memorial Cemetery in his family's plot, next to his brother, parents and grandparents. Both sets of his grandparents came to Santa Cruz in the 1910's and settled in the East of Morrissey neighborhood. They were involved in the poultry, dairy and logging industries, as well as other pursuits. Dick's interest in all things mechanical began at an early age. At the age of 14 he acquired and re-built his first car, a 1934 Ford coupe. The roof needed patching, so he bought a fiberglass kit: the beginning of his interest in fiberglass technology. He graduated from Santa Cruz High in 1953. In that year, he won an award of a mechanics tool kit from the Santa Cruz Car Dealers' association for being an outstanding student in his vocational auto machines class and won an apprenticeship at the Desoto Plymouth agency. Dick joined the army in November of 1953 and eventually was stationed in Japan as an auto mechanic as part of an occupying force during the conclusion of the Korean war. He attended Central Tech, Kansas City, Missouri in 1956, and met his future wife, Peggy Thompson, at a church skating party. While in Kansas, he designed and built a fiberglass sports car. It won the sweepstakes award at the Kansas City Auto Show. A search for the "1958 Dick Williams Special" will bring up great information on his car. After Peggy and Dick moved to his hometown of Santa Cruz, he was hired at the Lockheed test base in Bonny Doon, later opened an auto shop for a short time, and then went to work for Sylvania in Santa Cruz. From there he worked for Space Ordinance Systems in Sunnyvale. One of his responsibilities there was to certify that doors could be blown off of spacecraft in an emergency or a landing. This was during the Apollo 13 era. The space industry declined thereafter, so few employment opportunities existed. This was the time Dick decided to realize his dream of opening a fiberglass shop. In 1968 he formed Poli-Form Industries. The company primarily produced Model T and Model A Ford parts and bodies, but Chevy parts as well. His company also designed and produced automotive styling kits; ambulance bodies; a Mork & Mindy egg car; Santa Cruz Boardwalk benches, amusement rides and fortune telling machines; car body skylights for Neil Young's touring bus; airplane parts and kits; sculptures through a UCSC arts program; camper shells; movie props; tanks for Salz Tannery and more. The racing industry has always been a large interest to Dick. He attended the Bonneville Salt Flats many times as an enthusiast, often bringing car parts and accessories with him to sell. He also organized an event in Australia called Thunder Down Under on the great salt flats of Lake Gairdner. Family and friends are invited to a celebration of Dick's life on January 20, 2018 at the United Methodist Church, 250 California Street, Santa Cruz, CA at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, please donate to The Multiple System Atrophy Coalition or to a cause or charity of your choice.