Forrest Julian Williams

Forrest Julian Williams entered into eternal rest on April 5, 2026. He was born on January 27th, 1936, to William Cass Williams and Zelda Bea (Webb) Williams, in Amarillo, Texas. The Williams family of seven moved to Idaho in 1949. Together, they farmed 120 acres NE of Jerome, at the Hunt Project. In 1954, Forrest graduated from Valley High School, lettering in football, basketball, and boxing. In 1955, at the age of 19, he married classmate Lea Watson of Hazleton, Idaho. Forrest and Lea moved to Hailey, where he worked in Sun Valley as a ski bus driver in winter, a commercial firewood cutter during the summers. He also sold cars for Neyman Chevrolet in Hailey. Forrest and Lea had four children, Stacy, Randy, Lisa, and Reese. Unfortunately, Forrest and Lea divorced.

During his firewood years, Forrest developed an interest in logging. Not long after, he started his career as a timber feller. He was very good at logging and eventually started contracting both helicopter and conventional jobs all over the Northwest.

Forrest went on to marry Kay Ray (Toothman), who had two children, Steve, and Linda. Together, the couple had one son together, Michael. They made a great team, with Forrest supervising up to as many as 16 log cutters on his jobs. Forrest would travel, and bid on contracts, and work long hours, while Kay did all the payrolls, taxed, paid the bills, and kept maintained their home. Both Steve and Mike began helping with logging jobs as soon as they were big enough to pack his gasoline and oil. Forest loved working in the woods, especially when his boys were with him, and not in school. He logged until he retired, in 2008.

Forrest and Kay lived on a ranch in Meadows Valley, ID, until Kay passed away in 2015. They also owned a place in Craig, Alaska, had two boats, and hosted many family members and friends for great fishing trips. Forrest and Kay both loved to hunt and fish.

After Kay passed, Forrest stayed in New Meadows, until moving to a smaller ranch in Nampa, in 2022. He learned to cook for himself, and maintained a positive attitude, navigating life alone. He was a big man, in every sense of the word, physically, emotionally, and socially. He loved to talk with and be around people. He made many friends wherever he worked and lived, and was loved by his family, and everyone who knew him. Danette Rassmussen became a close companion in his later years and moved to Nampa with Forrest after he sold the ranch. Forrest was content and happy in his last years, and was constantly making plans for the future, usually involving fishing, hunting, or ranch improvements.

On Monday, April 13th, Kay William’s birthday, Forrest will be laid to rest beside her. There will be a graveside service, at 2:00 pm, at New Meadows Valley Cemetery. Following, a reception will be held at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 100 N Mission St., McCall. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date in Boise.

Online condolences may be left at www.mccallfunerals.com

Arrangements in care of McCall Funeral Home.