C. Basil Williams

C. Basil Williams OGDEN - (In his own words): Carroll Basil Williams Jr. died on April 25, 2009 in Ogden, Utah. He was born to Carroll Basil and Gurtha Melissa Petersen Williams in Salt Lake City on March 29, 1931. He grew up in Brigham City, Utah. He was a sickly child suffering asthma as a child and duodenal ulcer as a teen-ager. He was an entrepreneur in his childhood and sold seed packets at age four in his neighborhood to obtain binoculars. He sold 23 memberships in the Junior Wildlife Federation and won a sleeping bag. School came easily and he was valedictorian of his Box Elder High class in 1949. He played on the American Legion Junior Baseball team, which won the state championship in 1948. He played on the worst basketball team in Box Elder's history as they suffered the ignominy of the first home loss ever to their cross county rival, Bear River high. The athletes bounced back and won the state championship in baseball in 1949 and Basil pitched the entire 10 inning game. He attended the University of Utah on athletic and academic scholarships. He changed from a business major to pre-medicine, received his BS degree in 1953 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and later Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical honor society. He was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha and developed lifelong friends there. During his senior year he met his love, Stephanie Rich, on an arranged "blind date". They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on August 23, 1954. Stephanie completed her degree in education and taught fourth grade for a year while Basil was in medical school. In their first year of marriage, he was stricken with severe, life threatening colitis and drastic surgery resulted in a 50 pound weight regain. Despite the month off, he graduated first in his class as he received his MD degree in 1956. After internship, medical residency and a cardiology fellowship at the University of Utah, he, Stephanie and their two small children moved to Boston where he served as a resident on the Harvard Medical Service at Boston City Hospital. After returning to Utah as chief resident in medicine, he joined the Ogden Clinic in 1961 where he practiced internal medicine and cardiology until 2001. He was active in medical organizations and served as president of the Ogden Clinic, Utah Thoracic Society, the Utah Heart Association, Utah Society of Internal Medicine, and regional vice president of the American Heart Association. He was a fellow of the American College of Physicians and a fellow of the American College of Cardiology. He was board certified in internal medicine and cardiology. He was president for three decades of the Ogden Research Foundation. He performed scores of research studies for the National Institute of Health and pharmaceutical companies. Patient care gave him great pleasure. He was a clinical professor at the University of Utah College of Medicine and was named outstanding clinical Faculty Member in 1990-1991. He was named Laureate of the American College of Physicians in 1998. He was chosen as Utah's Young internist of the Year in 1971 and Internist of the Year ten years later. He was a member of the Ogden Rotary Club for 37 years and was an active member of the LDS church. He served as a teacher and a bishop's counselor but his favorite calling was as assistant ward finance clerk. He had many interests and hobbies. He was an avid sports fan and played many: golf, skiing, tennis, squash, fly fishing, running, and snorkeling. He enjoyed writing and was a contributing editor for Medical Economics. He was a voracious and eclectic reader and was a devoted movie buff. He loved travel and its planning. His children and grandchildren gave him great joy. He is survived by his wife and their six children: Deborah (Michael) Beus, Barton (Nancy) Williams, Megan (David) Stevens, Raquel (Hal) Lonas, Rebecca (Mark) Skidmore, Melissa (Gary) Riding, 28 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and his two sisters: Mary Ann (Lee) Mortenson and Janet (Brad) Blaser. Memorial services will be held Thursday at 2:00 p.m. at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd. Family will meet friends at the mortuary on Thursday from 1 to 2 p.m. For those wishing to remember Base with a donation, the family suggests a contribution to a charity of your choice. Send condolences to the family at: www.lindquistmortuary.com