Stephen C. “Monk” Williams ’68

Stephen C. “Monk” Williams ’68 died on April 8, 2021, at a long-term care facility in Manchester, New Hampshire, of multiple sclerosis, which he faced for 44 years with courage, an indomitable spirit, and playful sense of humor. Born July 2, 1946, he grew up in Boonville, New York, where his father, Perry, was a lawyer and developer of Snow Ridge and his mother, Ruth Kelley, was involved in managing the ski area. Monk and his older brother, Dick, took full advantage of living near the Adirondacks. An Eagle Scout, Monk came to Dartmouth from Deerfield Academy and majored in economics. He was an excellent student and was admitted into the economics honor society and named a Rufus Choate scholar. He was also a member of Psi Upsilon. Monk excelled at long-distance cross-country races as a member of the ski team, where he developed the traits he most admired in coach Al Merrill: pursuit of excellence, integrity, and a positive outlook. A knee injury derailed his bid to ski for the U.S. ski team at the 1972 Winter Olympics. Monk graduated from Yale Law School and practiced tax law at a high level in Washington, D.C., and later in New Hampshire. He married the love of his life, Christine Omdahl in 1983. In perhaps the greatest of the many challenges Monk encountered, she died in 1998. Monk’s exceptional life and unfailing battle with all the adversity life threw at him is the subject of an inspirational biography, The Monk, by Brett Garamella.