Louanne Sue Williams

Louanne (Irving) Williams, 70, of Clive, passed away unexpectedly on October 20, 2026.

To know Mom was to know love. She had the kindest soul you could ever meet and lived her life in service to others, not because she felt obligated to, but simply because that was who she was. There wasn’t an errand she wouldn’t run or a person she wouldn’t make time for. She always had a listening ear, sage advice, and a remarkable ability to make you feel loved. She loved with her whole heart.

Family was at the center of her life. She cherished holidays, dinners together, a rousing game of cribbage, and, more than anything, simply being together. She had a special relationship with every member of her family, and each holds a piece of her heart that belonged uniquely to them.

To her husband, Claire, she was his best friend, constant companion, and the love of his life. She was a beloved Mom and Momma to her daughter, Kyla (Jef) Overbey of Waukee, and her son, Trenton Williams (Maurizio Renzi) of Clive. She also shared a special mother-daughter bond with her niece, Mindy Harclerode of Des Moines, who was like a third child to her.

One of her favorite titles was Namma. She adored her grandchildren, Micha White (Jaylen Cooley) of Des Moines, Jasha White of Waukee, James Overbey of Waukee, and her treasured great-grandson, Jière Cooley of Des Moines. Being Namma brought her immeasurable joy.

Born in Des Moines in 1955, Mom was a proud Southsider and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1974. She began her career in the insurance world but soon discovered that her true passion was serving others. She spent more than a decade at the Iowa Homeless Youth Center and finished her career with the Polk County Health Department, where she served as a program coordinator for the Care for Yourself program with the Iowa Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention Program.

Her service didn’t end with retirement. Each week, Mom volunteered at Howe Elementary, reading with a buddy and giving another child what she gave so freely throughout her life: her time, attention, encouragement, and love.

She was preceded in death by her loving parents, Wayne and Hatti Irving, and her sisters, Michelle Harclerode and Jill Rivera.

Mom touched countless lives, usually in quiet ways and without ever expecting recognition. Her legacy lives on in the people who knew they could always call her, the family gathered around the table, the children she encouraged, and the love she gave so completely.

She made this world a better place simply by being in it. We will miss her more than words can say, carry her with us always, and spend the rest of our lives trying to give others a little of the kindness she so effortlessly gave to us.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, October 24, at 11:00 a.m. at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home (8201 Hickman Rd., Urbandale) A visitation will be held an hour prior.

Mom would never have wanted a fuss made over her. Please come just as you are, exactly as she would have welcomed you.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Everybody Wins! Iowa and the Power Read Program, honoring Mom’s love of reading with children and her lifelong commitment to serving others.