Meet Pembroke’s Dave Williams, husband, father, grand-father, veteran, and much more.
Q: How long have you lived in Pembroke?
We moved down here in 1995, from Mt. Vernon, N.Y.
Q: What brought you down here?
My wife is originally from here and her parents are here. When I retired from IBM, my wife and I decided we would move down here because her father was blind and we knew her mother and father would need help. The first time I came to Pembroke, I fell in love with it, and I said when I retire this is the place I want to live. People here are so friendly and the climate is just right.
Q: What do you like most about the area?
What I really like the most is the friendliness of the people here and the small town atmosphere. I love that. I go to the supermarket and I’ll spend an hour in there just talking to people. It’s great.
Q: What are things that you spend your days and nights on; what keeps you busy and on the go all of the time?
When I first moved down here I said I wasn’t going to do anything. Then I started working for the Board of Education. One thing led to another, and I started working part time at Gateway Behavior Health and that turned into full time. That takes most of my day, but then I got involved in scouting, and I love to help people, so when asked to volunteer I can’t say no. I got involved in quite a number of different things, especially for the city, because I love the city and anything I can do to help is right up my alley.
I’m a Deacon at Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, a member American Legion Post 164 in Pembroke, on the United Way Advisory Board, a member of City of Pembroke Planning and Zoning Board, on the Board of Directors for Bryan County Family Connections, Scout Master for Boy Scout Troop 357, on the Board of Directors for Mercy Housing which is the managing agent for McFadden Place, on the Advisory Board for YMCA, and Chairman of the Bryan County NAACP Interest Group
Q: You’ve been very busy lately with Veterans’ Day celebrations. You were at Lanier Primary for their program, you were part of the 2nd Annual program in Pembroke and you were the Master of Ceremonies at Bryan County Middle School Monday, can you tell me some background on your military history?
I was an aircraft electrician in the Air Force for 4 years. I served in the Vietnam War working on support missions. I was there 3 months, and then I was in various other locations in a tanker unit where we did in air refueling of the fighters and bombers going to Vietnam. We spend a lot of time in Guam.
Q: How do you manage to fit in family time with such a busy schedule?
It’s really tough. My two children here, Twan and Danielle, are grown, and I have a new grandbaby, Jasmine, that just turned 2 months old on the 9th and already has grandma and grandpa wrapped around her finger, but in the amount of time I spend at home, I try to make sure to spend as much time as I can with them and my wife Deloris. My two other children, Kimberli and David, Jr., live in Massachusetts, so I don’t get to see them that often. It’s tough to manage the time, but fortunately the organizations I am involved in only meet once a month, except for the Boy Scouts, and it’s staggered, so I can juggle my time there. Usually it’s not an every day or week thing. Whatever time I have, I try to spend at home with my family. My mother in law and father in law need a lot of assistance, and I try to do as much as I can for them.
Q: What do you like to do in your spare time when you are able to find the time to relax and enjoy life?
I am a crossword puzzle fanatic. I love to do crossword puzzles, and I love to read, especially newspapers. I also love to bowl but don’t get the chance to do that anymore.
Q: If you could change one thing about the area, what would it be?
Without a doubt, I would add a bowling center.