August 9, 1936 — March 10, 2026
The Memorial services celebrating and honoring the life of Doris Parks Williams, 88, of Enid, are will be held 11:00 A.M. Friday March 13, 2026 in the Brown-Cummings chapel with Pastor Jarrod Cloud officiating. Services are under the direction of Brown-Cummings, A life celebration home.
Doris Parks Williams was born August 9, 1936 in Asheville, NC. She was the eldest of two daughters from her father, William Richard Parks and her mother, Gloria Abrams Parks. She was, and has always been known to be a strong, independent woman with a desire to do great things. She was a fighter who overcame obstacles in her life by her deep faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and an influencer to help those who struggled in their own life. She lived out her faith until her final breath in March , 2026 at the age of 89 years.
She grew up in the small town of Newberry, SC from the age of 2 years after the loss of her father to a unfortunate accident. Her mother seeing the need for family support moved back to her hometown of Newberry, SC where she began the work of raising Doris and her younger sister Gloria with uncles, aunts, and in-laws. Despite the loss of her father, Doris experienced a stable environment of a small town, where everyone knew everybody, and life was simple, and quiet. She loved horseback riding, waterskiing, and girl scouts where she learned a lot about leadership, management, and discipline. School was not easy for her as she struggled with a learning disability that she eventually overcame.
After graduating from Newberry College with a degree in secondary education, and later a masters degree in teaching at East Tennessee State University she spent several years teaching math and science in the state of Florida. She was known to be fierce in the classroom as she demanded the absolute best from all of her students. After several years she met her husband, the late, Dr. Lyman O. Williams, professor of Geology at Phillips University in Enid, OK. They had two sons, Richard Douglas Williams of Enid, OK and Russell Gordon Williams of Comox, British Columbia, Canada. She is also survived by two grandchildren Tilly Williams and Finn Williams both students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. Unfortunately, after many years of marriage, Lyman and Doris parted ways through a very painful divorce. They remained friends despite the separation.
In the year 1995, Doris sold her small business, The Paint Shop in Enid, OK and began a ten year work in Budapest, Hungary as a foreign missionary through an organization called, Operation Mobilization. It was there that she worked as a bookkeeper and later stepped out on her own to speak in churches around the Hungarian Countryside. She wrote curriculum for Sunday School, Bible Study, and Camps from the Bible. She also worked in soup kitchens, with the handicapped, and a variety of other ministries too many to document. She made deep long-lasting friendships with Hungarians, one in particular was a young woman confined to a wheel chair who later became her translator while she spoke at her meetings.
After ten years of service in Hungary Doris returned to her home in Enid, OK where she volunteered at her church, Grace Church, and later started a horse camp near Garber, OK where she took care of twelve horses and provided ministry to young children in the Enid OK area. Each summer there were nearly a hundred children who experienced fishing, gun safety, archery, canoeing, crafts, and best of all horsemanship. During camp time there was a time for learning God’s Word taught by volunteers. Her efforts continue on to this day through this camp called, Enter His Gates Horse Camp, and all donations should be made to Enter His Gates Horse Camp.
Doris continued her work at the camp, also served as a Sunday School Teacher, Prayer Partner, Encourager, and Influencer. Even in her final years at The Arbors Assisted Living Facility she uplifted many with her contagious laughter and upbeat life. She will always be remembered as a Shining Light in this world and was a giant of faith to all who knew her. Her life is an echo in time to the voice of the Apostle Paul who writing to the Philippian Church said:
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.” (Philippian 2:14-16)
Also, the Roman Church:
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)
Doris is now in the glory of God’s goodness. Some of her most special friends who shared in her life and ministry are, Loretta Ohr, Scott and Sherry Carrier, and Cynthia Smith. Doris and her family are very grateful for their guidance, direction, and encouragement so that she could go home in peace.
All donations should go to the Enter His Gates Horse Camp, with Brown-Cummings serving as custodian of the funds.
