Friends and colleagues honor Don Williams, longtime Weyerhaeuser manager, civic leader and volunteer who helped shape the city’s modern era. Williams celebrates his 90th birthday on March 25. …He was born in 1936 in Everett, Washington, and launched his career with Weyerhaeuser in 1954 as a millworker apprentice. …In December 1975, Williams transferred to the Cottage Grove Weyerhaeuser Mill to serve as Head Filer, where he oversaw chip quality control. As the company restructured, he took on broader responsibilities. He advanced from Area Superintendent to Department Manager and supervised quality control for more than 200 machine centers. He eventually concluded his Weyerhaeuser career as the mill’s Health, Environmental & Safety Manager, a role that reflected both his technical expertise and his steady leadership. Williams built a reputation as a fair and principled negotiator. Both management and union leaders trusted him at the bargaining table, and he helped maintain stability during periods of industry change.