Williams, 76, was a cheerful, well-liked man who rarely complained about his physical ailments, former co-workers said, but instead counted himself lucky that he did not develop asbestosis until his later years.
"I consider myself fortunate, because I'm 76. Most were much younger than I am," Williams said this past March, when talking about former friends at the Grace plant who developed lung disease in their 30s, 40s and 50s after years of exposure to the asbestos-tainted vermiculite that was mixed into the company's insulation and construction materials products.