Roll Call Tribute

Schmidt Funeral Home - Grand Parkway obituary
1344 West Grand Parkway South
Katy, Texas 77494
Phone: (281) 391-2424

Jodie Galan Williams
02/08/1952 - 07/08/2016

Jodie Galan Williams passed away on Friday, July 8, 2016, at the age of 64 years. He was born on February 8, 1952, in Hope, Arkansas, to Walter Samuel Williams, Sr. and Laura Cornelia Griffin Williams. Galan graduated from Texas A&M University in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. Over the course of his long and successful career as an engineer in the oil and gas industry, he attended numerous seminars and trainings each year, including Oilfield Electrification, Log Interpretation, Directional Drilling, Advanced Drilling Engineering, Well Control School, Drilling Fluids, Western Frac, Contract Risk; as well as attending the Professional Engineering Course every year for the past 10 years.
Galan began his career in 1974 at Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. In 1976, he joined Tenneco Oil Company as a Drilling Engineer and would become the Senior Drilling Engineer. In 1980, Galan became a Drilling Superintendent at Kilroy Company of Texas, in Houston. Starting in 1982, he was the Operations Superintendent and then Operations Manager at Avanti Services, where he supervised all drilling activities both offshore and onshore from Texas to Florida, plus New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Galan joined Triton Engineering Services in 1987 as a Drilling Engineer and was quickly promoted into management and would become a member of the executive management committee and Vice President of Planning. In 1994, he joined Applied Drilling Technology and Global Marine De Venezuela, where he would become a Vice President and Officer.
Since 2001, Galan has been a Vice President at Cardno PPI, and because of the owners and co-workers it became his favorite place to work. He was named Senior Principal last year. He was a Lead Operations Project Manager overseeing operations in Lagos, Nigeria. At one point, he was the project manager for daily operations in the Gulf of Mexico, south Louisiana, south Texas, Utah, Colorado, and Montana.
Galan was a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas and was a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
Galan grew up in the church and was a true believer of Christ as our Savior. He was a selfless and Godly man, who led by example and taught his children about God. He loved to sing and would lead and sing in the choir.
On May 8, 2009, he married his love, Yvette Virginia Santos in Houston, Texas.
He was adventurous, an avid hunter, and a member of the National Rifle Association. He loved spending time outdoors, travelling and RV camping. Some of his favorite places to visit were the Texas Hill Country; San Francisco, Monterrey, and the wine country in California; and his treasured Cinco Mujeres Ranch. He truly enjoyed riding “Ole Blue,” his Goldwing motorcycle and planning two week trips with his wife out to the Big Bend area and visiting old western forts. He was passionate about Texas and Texas history, Native American history, and he knew all about the western frontier. He read every one of Louis L’Amour’s books and saw each movie. He loved western movies; especially those starring John Wayne, with McLintock and The Quiet Man being some of his most favorite. He also love watching Star Wars and 007 James Bond. He was a big Texas A&M football fan.
His greatest love was spending time with family and he especially enjoyed being a dad and grandfather. He was adored by his family and they enjoyed his great sense of humor and Texas drawl. He wanted to be anywhere as long as he was with his beloved Yvette and she would say, "Galan is the yang to my yin."
He is survived by his wife, Yvette Santos-Williams of Katy, Texas; daughters, Mindy Gross and her husband Bryan of Richmond, Texas, Amber Williams and her husband Dr. Craig Messick of Richmond, Texas, Delia Santos of Katy, Texas, and Lydia Santos of Katy, Texas; grandchildren, Zachary Gross, Brooklyn Gross, Paxton Messick, and Chaddick Messick; as well as other loving family members and friends.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 23, 2016, at the Schmidt Funeral Home Grand Parkway Chapel, with Rev. Victoria F. Thomas and Mr. Ron Thomas officiating. A reception will follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts be made in honor of Galan Williams to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in the effort to detect and stop Pancreatic Cancer at www.youcaring.com/.galan-williams-601038