No Visitation


A private family 
Celebration of Life 
to honor Jackie,
will be held at a later date.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


The following was lovingly written by
Jackie's daughter Alyssa...



Jacqueline Louise Williams
​February 10, 1957 – December 26, 2025 


​Jacqueline Louise Williams—
known to friends as "Jackie" 
and to family as "Jackalou"—
closed her favorite book for the last time
 and set off on her final adventure
 after a courageous and hard-fought
 battle with cancer, 
on December 26, 2025, at the age of 68. 
She passed away following a
 life defined by fearless spirit,
 and a devotion to those she loved.

​Born on February 10, 1957,
 in Cleveland, Oklahoma, 
Jackie was the eldest of four children
 born to Jack Lee and Patricia Lou Gilley. 
As the firstborn,
 she learned early to be a protector, 
serving as the defender of her siblings 
on the playground and the referee 
of many family squabbles.


​Her legendary toughness 
was cemented during
 her high school years in Cleveland, 
where she graduated in 1975.
 After being bullied at school, 
her father encouraged her 
to stand her ground. 
When she finally fought back 
and the principal threatened
 to call her father, 
Jackie replied, 
"Good, he wants you to."


​That strength carried into her 
professional life at the 
Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
 A true pioneer, 
Jackie was one of the few women
 in the department at the time. 
She earned the respect of her peers 
by braving midnight snowstorms 
and grueling shifts to 
keep the roads safe, 
never shying away from the 
difficult work.


​On December 21, 1991,
 Jackie married the love of her life, 
Steve Williams, 
in Maramec, Oklahoma. 
As Steve's career required him
 to travel extensively across the country, 
Jackie became the
 family's steady anchor. 
She spent several years holding down
 the fort in Birmingham, Alabama, 
expertly managing the home 
and raising their four children 
while Steve was on the road for work. 
She was the heartbeat of the family, 
the one who ensured that despite 
the distance of travel, 
they were always together for 
weekends and school breaks.
 They eventually returned to Cleveland 
in 2004
 to care for Steve's elderly parents, 
as their health was declining. 
Jackie's compassion was 
further shown when 
she and Steve opened
 their home to care 
for her mother, Patricia, 
during her battle with Alzheimer's.
 Jackie loved having everyone
 under one roof,
 especially her grandchildren.


​Jackie lived life to the fullest.
 She was fearless, 
whether she was diving deep
 into the river to noodle for catfish 
with her dad or navigating the 
"less-than-glamorous" 
clearing jobs at work. 
When she wasn't at the lake 
or winning at the casino, 
she found peace in the quiet of 
a romance novel, 
or the white sands of 
Panama City Beach, Florida.


​Above all else, 
Jackie was a grandmother. 
Her grandchildren—
Kaylee, Mary-Ann, October, Hunter, 
Zoii, Charlie, and Rilynn—
were her absolute world. 
"Mamaw" was their heart and soul,
 always ready with a story, a book, 
or a legendary fish tale.
​
​Jackie is survived by her
 devoted husband, Steve; 
her sons, 
Anthony Gilley and 
Alexander Williams of Cleveland, 
Steven Williams Jr. 
and his wife Kaleigh of Terlton; 
and her daughter, Alyssa Nessman 
and her husband Chuck 
of Oklahoma City, 
and her seven grandchildren. 
She also leaves behind 
her brother, Glen Gilley, 
and her sister, Michelle Dolan,
 both of Cleveland,
 along with a host of beloved nieces, 
nephews, and cousins
 who will miss her dearly.


She is now reunited with her parents, 
Jack and Patricia; 
her brother, Mark Gilley;
 her Paternal grandparents, 
Basil and Dorothy Gilley;
 and Maternal grandparents, 
Estel and Hazel Griggs. 


​Her family takes comfort in imagining 
her dad waiting on the shore for her—
somewhere where the sun is warm, 
the books are plenty, 
the slot machines are always 
singing with a jackpot, 
and the fish are always biting.


The family will be doing 
a private service
 in the Spring for her.