Caleb "Cale" Cooper Williams

Caleb "Cale" Cooper Williams
June 13, 2002 - October 19, 2025

Caleb "Cale" Cooper Williams, age 23, of Knoxville, Tennessee, passed away in the early morning hours of Sunday, October 19, 2025.

Cale was a creative and thoughtful young man whose curiosity was contagious. He loved to dive deeply into any topic that captured his interest, sharing his insights freely and often with a mix of humor and wisdom. In conversation, he listened with patience and respect—engaging fully without inflaming differences of opinion. Those who knew him often felt they were learning from him; he loved acquiring knowledge for the pure sake of it, whether about the environment, philosophy, current events, or literature.

Cale spent his first few years in Bend, Oregon, where his parents had landed because of their shared love for the outdoors. When the family later moved back to Knoxville, they continued to spend time together in the mountains and along the rivers of Tennessee, enjoying hiking, camping, backpacking, and biking. One of Cale's favorite local places was Seven Islands State Park, where he loved hiking, birdwatching, and taking photographs with his manual film camera.

One of Cale's greatest passions was music, though he also loved literature, film, art, and simply being out in the physical world. His dad and mom shared a love of the outdoors, and they felt such happiness knowing that Cale, too, found peace, joy, and wonder in nature. The natural world seemed to center him—it was a spark and a solace he sought out on his own throughout his life.

Cale's musical tastes spanned nearly every genre—from David Byrne, John Zorn, Elliott Smith, Jason Molina, and Phillip Glass to Townes Van Zandt, Big Thief, Unwound, Gorillaz, Swans, and countless others. Just a few weeks before his passing, he attended a Swans concert in Chicago, describing it as a life-affirming experience. He played guitar and drums and loved experimenting with his loop station, blending live instruments and electronic sounds to create layered, atmospheric recordings uniquely his own.

Cale was studying Sound Engineering at Pellissippi State Community College, where he found joy in learning to shape sound as art. He also worked at A Dopo, a local farm-to-table sourdough pizza restaurant in Knoxville, where he was known for his warmth, his eclectic music tastes, and his depth of knowledge about film.

Outside of music, Cale found peace and inspiration in photography, sketching, and journaling. His creative spirit was evident from early childhood and continued throughout his young adult life. He viewed the world through both an artist's and philosopher's lens, often making observations that helped others see life in a new and meaningful way.

Cale shared a close bond with both his younger sister, Wren, and brother, Micah. Cale would take Micah to concerts and they shared their love of art and music. He and his sister, Wren, connected through books and literature, often trading recommendations and favorite authors. Cale still joined family camping trips, introduced everyone to new games like Wingspan, and filled quiet moments with laughter, curiosity, and thoughtful conversation.

A lover of literature and film, Cale found inspiration in writers such as Dostoevsky, Virginia Woolf, Italo Calvino, Hermann Hesse, Tolstoy, Leonard Cohen, and Gabriel García Márquez, among many others. He enjoyed the films of Wes Anderson, appreciated Philip Seymour Hoffman as an actor, and was inspired by the surreal artistry of David Lynch, whose work often sparked late-night reflections and deep conversations.

Cale is survived by his mother, Kristin Williams; father, Logan Williams; sister, Wren Williams; and brother, Micah Williams.

On his mother's side, he is survived by his grandmother, Ethel Cooper, and her partner, Tom Elliott; his aunt and uncle, Lindsay and Jeremiah McMichen, and their children, Finley, Landon, and Isla; his uncle and aunt, Ken and Stacy Cooper, and their child, Bristol; and his uncle, Jeff Cooper.

On his father's side, he is survived by his grandmother, Margaret "Peg" Schneider, and his aunt, Sierra Schneider.

A Celebration of Life will be a small gathering of friends and family to honor Cale's life, creativity, and gentle spirit. In memory of Cale, the family will be accepting donations to benefit Seven Islands State Park, a place he dearly loved and often visited.

Cale will be remembered always for his boundless curiosity, his artistic mind, his compassion, and the light he brought to those around him. Though his time here was heartbreakingly short, his spirit, his art, and his love will continue to echo through all who knew him.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Caleb "Cale" Cooper Williams, please visit our flower store.