Ashley Williams Obituary
Handsome. Funny. Dedicated father. Beloved husband. Mr. Williams passed on January 25, 2026 at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his wife by his side. In his 54 years, he mastered chess, scrabble, and other puzzles; built websites and apps; used computer simulation and agentic modeling for transportation engineering; told his jokes from stages like the DC Comedy Improv; and shared his passions for music, photography, and woodworking with his family. He was a voracious reader, mindful Buddhist, and political philosopher who enjoyed karaoke, movies, and games with friends.
Mr. Williams was born in Georgia to a Filipina mother and an Airman father. Raised in Houston, Texas, he went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and his master’s degree in engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Throughout his career, he worked with corporations including Continental Airlines, Booz Allen Hamilton, MITRE, and Deloitte. He was widely admired for his sharp intellect and inventive thinking, most notably for transforming a problem once thought impossible to solve into an elegant algorithm that could be solved in just 20 minutes.
He leaves behind his wife, Kristen Engebretsen, and three children: Naomi Anya (Britt Cope) Williams, Ethan (Myth Thomas) Williams, and Sofia Ayala. Next of kin include his mother Marita (Robert Bokelman) Salimbagat Thompson and stepfather Robert (Susan) Schefft; his brothers Chris (Jennifer) Williams and Bill (Carol) Thompson; seven siblings-in-law; and 11 nieces and nephews.
His celebration of life will take place at the Watergate Hotel – the scene of his engagement and favorite staycation. His kindness, intellect, and thoughtfulness will continue to inspire those who knew him, and his memory will forever live on in our hearts.
As a longtime mental health advocate, donations can be made in his honor here: https://988lifeline.org/donate/
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Washington Post on Apr. 19, 2026.