Dally “Shady” Williams (1945-2013)

Dally Jack “Shady” Williams (1945-2013) was one of the first employees at Woodgraphics, now DeNyse Cos., and he was a mentor to many; our hand painter. His unique ability was bringing to life the details that can’t be reproduced with technology or the latest equipment. Any creative and specific detail, Shady could do it, from goldleaf to hand-carved details; our business depended on his years of experience, and his God- given talent. It gives us great sadness to say, that our mentor, our friend, passed away on May 1, 2013. We hope this tribute gives justice and honors his memory.
      Named after his grandfather, cowboy/quick-draw exhibitionist, Dally Jack Williams, Sr., “Shady” was destined for a full life, with many adventures. His journey begins in Omaha, NE, 1945. After his mother passed away, Shady spent a lot of time at his grandmother’s beauty parlor. She was a proud grandmother who hung his works of art all over her shop. You could say this is where destiny stepped in. One of her customers was the wife of Jim Cronland, owner of Signature Advertising. Jim offered this 14-year-old kid a chance, and for 0.75$ an hour, Shady’s signpainting journey began. Hours of sweeping floors, running errands, and asking questions led him to five years as a journeyman signpainter.
      After his stint in the Army, Shady found himself in East Point, GA, working for the Clayton County Fire Department. There, he not only fought fires, but used his artistic ability to gild the entire fleet, by hand! He continued his sign journey, working at sign companies such as Maltese Signs, and Tom Johnson Signs. Tom Johnson Signs’ was acquired many years ago by Woodgraphics (now DeNyse Companies), and, as the legend goes, Jennifer and Allen DeNyse purchased that sign company solely to have Shady Williams come work with them.
      Sign guys are a dime a dozen; I’m one of them, states David Kaplan, our Director of Sales. Rarely do you come across someone who knows what the client or the setting for a sign needs more so than the people that are selling it or buying it. Shady was a true sign artisan, drawing from a legacy of experience he was able to deliver like no other. Only sign guys would understand, but when you say “just put a shady finish on it,” while releasing an order, speaks for itself. So many artists take shortcuts like projectors, patterns, color by numbers, etc. Shady was one of the last sign dogs who could deliver by hand and only by hand everything his mind envisioned. 
     Thesie Peacock said, "I first met Shady 28 years ago, not long after I started working for Woodgraphics. He was a bear of a man – literally – long black hair and beard, huge tattooed arms, barrel chest – very intimidating to someone new to the sign industry – or any industry! Of course, after I got to know him, I realized that bear was really just a teddy bear.
     "He always said ‘all sign painters are artists, but not all artists are sign painters’. The approach and perspective is totally different. To say he was passionate about his craft was an understatement. And to call him a Craftsman would only begin to describe him… along with Perfectionist, Visionary, Teacher, Mentor, and most importantly Friend. I watched him create magic with his brushes and his hands with the many types of signs he worked on over the years. There was no limit to his capabilities, or creativity.
There are far too many stories to tell about Shady, but this story must include his pride of, and loyalty to, his beloved Custom Riders Motorcycle Club. His love of Harley motorcycles was as much a part of him as his devotion to his family, friends and his club “brothers”. Many of the bikes in the funeral procession bore his works of art on their gas tanks. He lived large, as he would say, and left his footprints on all of our hearts. Ride free, dear friend."
       Allen & Jennifer DeNyse: "For the past 28 years, there has been a one constant you can depend on at DeNyse Signs, Shady. Quality was his obsession. Our mission and core values are based on strong people like Shady who shaped our company into what it is today. From sweeping the floor correctly to applying goldleaf to a work of art, he set the tone to always do your best. With his passing, it is an end of an era. No one could hand letter with the same level of quality he could, and so few have aspired to learn the craft that it really is a dying art.Shady you will be missed, but the energy you spent showing others how to do it right was not in vein, and we will do our best to carry the torch."