Laidlaw Bosworth "Boz" Williams^[1]

1942 - 2011  (68 years)

• Name	Laidlaw Bosworth "Boz" Williams
  Born	16 Oct 1942	Carmel, Monterey County, Califorinia   [2]
  Gender	Male
  Died	7 May 2011	Guerneville, California   [3, 4, 5]
  Person ID	I238811	Smoky Mountain Ancestral Quest
  Last Modified	28 Aug 2012

  
  

  Father	Laidlaw Onderdonk Williams,   b. 9 Jun 1904, New York, New York ,   d. 12 Oct 1976, Carmel, Monterey County, California  (Age 72 years)
  Mother	Abbie Louise "Abbie Lou" Bosworth,   b. 24 Jul 1906, Dundee, Illinois ,   d. 27 Oct 1983, Monterey County, California  (Age 77 years)
  Married	31 Jul 1937	Carmel, Monterey County, California   [6]
  Family ID	F91574	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family	Kathrin
  Children	1. Caleb Christopher Williams,   b. 1969  (Age 55 years)   2. Jesse Laidlaw Williams,   b. 1972  (Age 52 years)   3. Nisha Abigail Williams,   b. 1978  (Age 46 years)
  Family ID	F127078	Group Sheet

  
  

• Photos

  a0238811.jpg

  
  

• Sources

  [S142] Newspaper Article, Apr 1978. Laidlaw Williams obituary [S116] Birth Certificate. Name: Laidlaw Bosworth Williams Event: Birth Event Date: 16 Oct 1942 Event Place: Monterey, California, United States Gender: Male Mother: Bosworth [S1] U. S. Social Security Death Index. Issued in Califorinia, residing in Sonoma County, California [S142] Newspaper Article, The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, CA), 18 May 2011. WILLIAMS , Laidlaw Bosworth (Boz) October 16, 1942 - May 7, 2011 Resident of Guerneville, California, he was born to Abbie Lou and Laidlaw Williams in Carmel. Boz graduated from Carmel High School and then attended Harvard and Berkeley Universities. He is remembered by his beloved wife Kathrin and his children Caleb, Jesse and Nisha, grandchildren Anja, Kira, Sofie, and Lium, sister Alcie and numerous extended family and friends. Boz stood out as a gentle, compassionate soul who brought good will and humor wherever he went. His passion for the wilderness of California was contagious. Walking with him often resulted in off-trail bush-wacking brush-scambles which were memorable and rewarding. One never tired of his creative approach to taking a walk or his deep respect for the natural world. A graduate of geography, any hike was enriched by his knowledge of landforms and flora. He had an abundant vegetable and decorative garden and was a supporter of native plants, open spaces and other good causes throughout the world. Boz had an interest in life which expressed itself in his love of his family, friends, plants and cats. The support of numerous friends and family members during the severe illness of the last five months was a testament to the strength of the love and admiration that we all had for him. He will be remembered as an engaged and interested soul with an inspiring quiet dignity. Memorial service will be held on May 20th. Call for directions. [S142] Newspaper Article, The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, CA), 18 May 2011. He wandered the hills near Cazadero, enjoying the natural beauty and pulling up invasive species he found in his path. He didn't need a trail, because in hiking and in life, he would decide where he wanted to go and just do it. Laidlaw "Boz" Bosworth Williams , a back-to-the-land gardener and nature explorer, died May 7 in his Guerneville home after a five-month battle with bladder cancer. He was 68 years old. "He was very nurturing to people, animals and plants," said his wife, Kathrin Williams of Guerneville. "He was just a very nurturing, sweet, gentle guy." Williams was born in Carmel in 1942 and moved to Graton in the late 1960s with his wife after earning a bachelor's degree in geology from UC Berkeley. The couple bought a squat house with ceilings no more than five feet tall. Over time Williams remodeled and expanded the home, using carpentry skills he taught himself. "He never liked to pay somebody for something he could do himself, so he would always be making something," said his son, Caleb Williams of Sebastopol. "He was very handy." Williams and his wife were drawn to Sonoma County because of its landscape and its great characteristics for gardening. He always grew his own food, even before he had a plot of land to call his own, Kathrin Williams said. "When we were first together, he was finding little springs in Big Sur and putting in tomato plants," she said. The family never needed to buy vegetables because his garden was bursting with Swiss chard, shiitake mushrooms, zucchini and tomatoes. He made cheese from the milk of the family goat, and blended hot sauce from the jalapeno, Anaheim and habanero peppers he harvested. He was playful with his grandchildren, building fairy houses out of twigs and teaching them about gardening. The couple lived simply and earned income from a rental property. Williams donated generously to environmental and poverty assistance groups, and volunteered as a conservation monitor for Sonoma Land Trust, Kathrin Williams said. "He could look up a hill and think, 'Oh I wonder what's up that hill?'" she said. "He always had places to go and discover what's there." In addition to his wife and his son Caleb, Williams is survived by his daughter Nisha Williams of Guerneville; son Jesse Williams of Pacific Grove; sister Alice Meyers of Berkeley; and four grandchildren. A memorial will be held at Williams ' home on Friday. For information, call Caleb Williams at 861-3376. -- Cathy Bussewitz [S142] Newspaper Article, New York Times, Page 17, 14 Aug 1937. LOUISE BOSWORTH BRIDE Princeton Girl Wed in California to Laidlaw Williams Mr. and Mrs. Neil E. Bosworth have announced the marriage of their daughter, Miss Abbie Louise Bosworth, to Laidlaw Onderdonk Williams, son of Mrs. Jesse Lynch Williams of Carmel, Calif., formerly of Princeton and New York, which took place on July 31 at Carmel. Mr. Williams is a member of the class of '28 in Princeton University. His father, the late Jesse Lynch Williams, was the author and dramatist whose play, "Why Marry?" won a Pulitzer prize.