Patricia Williams

PATRICIA (MCALISTER) WILLIAMS

Cedar Rapids

Patricia Ann McAlister Williams, 68, of Sioux City, passed away early Sunday, May 15, 2016.

Patricia "Pat" McAlister was born Nov. 18, 1947, in Sterling, Colo., the daughter of Donald Edward and Harriett Lucille (Rolph) McAlister. At the age of 5 her family moved to Cedar Rapids, where she lived until adulthood. She graduated from the University of New Mexico and later lived in various places, returning to Sioux City in 2015.

For the past 25 years of her life, she worked in the field of medical research, specializing in the development of new treatments for cancer. She was very proud to have played a small part in bringing new drugs to patients.

She enjoyed birding, working on her family tree and playing cards and other games.

Pat was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2011 and with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) in May 2015, which eventually took her life.

Survivors include her son, Donald Williams (Ashley Gray) of Merrill, Iowa; grandson, Jake Williams of Merrill; stepgrandchildren, Tetreanna Richards of Loveland, Colo., and Taylor, Trenten and Tara Gray of Merrill; her stepmother, Mary Jo McAlister of Cedar Rapids; brother, Glenn (Barbara) McAlister of Venice, Fla.; sister, Penny (Dan) Crespin of Aurora, Colo.; brother, Steve (Anita) Ferguson of Dixon, Calif.; and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

A Bahai funeral service will be held at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel, Sioux City, at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 19, with interment at Liberty-Perry Cemetery, Plymouth County. The local spiritual assembly of the Bahai of Sioux City will officiate.

Memorial gifts may be directed to LifeServe Blood Bank (4501 Southern Hills Dr., Sioux City, IA 51106) or June E. Nylen Cancer Center Research Dept. (230 Nebraska St., Sioux City, IA 51101).