Remembering Steve Williams: Lifelong Steward of the Issaquah Alps
Steve Williams at Big Cedar Springboard Notch. Courtesy of IATC Archives.
By Ken Konigsmark, IATC Advisory Board Member
Steve Williams was a lifelong champion and steadfast ally for the Issaquah Alps. In his professional career with King County Parks, he served as the long-time manager of Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, and beyond that, he was a dedicated IATC member, past president, and unwavering supporter.
Steve was instrumental in creating and sustaining the Cougar Mountain park we treasure today—a true “wildland” sanctuary. He envisioned a park not overrun by people but preserved as a refuge for wildlife and quiet, passive recreation: a vast, forested haven amid urban development. Throughout his career, Steve managed the park with this vision at heart.
Steve presenting at his annual Eastside Logging History Program, c. 2019. Photo from IATC Archive.
Steve sharing his knowledge during his annual Eastside Logging History Program, c. 2019. Photo from IATC Archives.
Even after retirement, Steve continued to champion the Issaquah Alps through active participation in IATC. He served on the board, led hikes, taught educational classes, and tirelessly advocated for the preservation and protection of our natural lands.
A quiet and measured man, Steve carried a steely resolve to serve and protect our environment. His dedication to conservation touched countless lives, and though he will be deeply missed, his legacy of stewardship and love for the Issaquah Alps will endure for generations to come.
Steve at the 2025 Save Coal Creek/Milt Swanson Birthday Party, March 2025. Photo courtesy of Tom Anderson.
When I reflect on Bill and his life’s work, several descriptors come quickly to mind: leader, advocate and ally, warrior for social justice and equity, friend, public servant, environmental champion and protector, passionate, devoted, loving husband and father, and lover of life—a person who soaked in the best of life while giving back selflessly to the common good.
Steve with past IATC board presidents (L-R: David Kappler, Ken Konigsmark, Anne Newcomb, David Dunphy) at Harvey Manning’s Centennial Celebration, July 2025. Photo courtesy of Mark Griffith.
Steve with past IATC board presidents, c. 2009. Photo courtesy of IATC Archives.
Steve Williams passed away peacefully on March 24, 2026, at home in hospice, surrounded by family.