Glacier Fund's Williams dies from crash injuries

Hungry Horse News

She went from being a dedicated soccer mom to running a reception for First Lady Laura Bush in Glacier National Park.

Tragically, her life ended from injuries sustained in a car accident.

Theresa Williams title with the Glacier Fund, the nonprofit fund-raising arm of the park, was program aide.

But she had blossomed into far more than that in the years she was with the fund, said Fund director Jan Metzmaker.

The affable and charming Williams began with the Fund simply accounting its license plate program. Metzmaker and Williams were neighbors and friends, and Metzmaker offered her a job.

But from there, Williams grew to become a critical part of the organization.

This summer, she was the host of a reception for First Lady Laura Bush when Bush visited the park on vacation.

"She was creative and very bright and she grew into the job easily. She was wonderful," Metzmaker said. "She'll be missed by the park. They really grew to love her."

"She was so excited about what she was doing," Williams' husband, Ken, said Tuesday. "She was blessed."

Williams was also a devoted mother, not just for her own children, but for others as well.

"Her kids were her passion," Mr. Williams said. She went to her son Koben's soccer games religiously and her daughter Lenna's dance recitals. She also was a mother to Carl Dieterich, a foreign exchange student from Germany living with the family this year.

Williams, 45, was driving her 2000 Toyota Sienna van southbound Saturday on U.S. Highway 93 near Hagerman Lane when she swerved to avoid hitting a dog and hit a northbound 2004 Pontiac Grand Am driven by Daniel Donnelly, 34, of Kalispell.

Williams suffered severe head injuries in the crash and died Sunday.

Drivers and passengers in both vehicles were wearing seat belts, but several were transported to Kalispell Regional Medical Center for treatment for serious injuries.

Williams' daughter, Lenna, was a passenger in the van and was treated for minor injuries and released.

Services for Williams are 2 p.m. at Holy Nativity Church in Whitefish and a reception and celebration of her life is planned for 4 p.m. at the O'Shaunnessy Center in Whitefish. A complete obituary appears on page A6.