Glenn “Duffy” Thomas Williams, beloved husband, father, grandfather, priest, skier, builder, and enthusiastic early adopter of gadgets, passed away surrounded by the love of his family. He was 77 years old.

Duffy was born in Minneapolis on December 17, 1948, to Judy and Milton “Tom” Williams, the oldest of four children. At just four years old, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a challenge he faced for the rest of his life with tenacity and more than a little stubbornness.

He met his future wife Jane Arman in nursery school, eventually leading to a great love that would endure for 55 years. But before that could happen, he left the Plains for Colorado to pursue one of his other loves: skiing. As a young man and ski instructor at Welch Village in Minnesota, he learned by studying Olympic gold medalist Stein Eriksen and imitating his famously elegant style — knees together, graceful turns, and just enough confidence to make everyone else look like they were working too hard. He enrolled in Colorado College to be close to the slopes, and studied math and chemistry at school. He joined the Sigma Chi fraternity, a distinction later proudly shared by his youngest son.

A skiing injury eventually forced him to leave Colorado and return home, which turned out to be one of the luckiest accidents of his life. After transferring to the University of North Dakota to complete his degree, he reconnected with Jane, and before long they were married and beginning a life together.

After their wedding at Bethlehem Lutheran Church on March 13, 1971, the couple settled in Minneapolis, where they bought their first home and welcomed their first son, Matthew. They later moved to Fargo, where Duffy followed in his father’s footsteps into construction, property management, and real estate. Three years after welcoming their second son, Benjamin, Duffy built the family home where they would live until this day. Their youngest son, Alex, completed the family a few years later.

Duffy lived a life deeply rooted in community. He was an active member and former president of the local Rotary Club, and he and Jane somehow managed a months-long trip through Europe to attend the International Rotary Convention in Germany while she was pregnant with Alex — a feat that today would probably require several spreadsheets, twelve charging cables, and lots of lumbar support for Jane.

Duffy’s love of music ran very deep. He could always be found listening to public radio or traveling to concerts, whether it be to the FM Symphony, American or Irish Folk music, or his favorite, Prairie Home Companion. He also lived his love for music by contributing his beautiful tenor voice to the Gethsemane Cathedral choir for many years, together with Jane.

Over time, his devotion to the church deepened, and in midlife he felt called to the priesthood. After years of theological study, he was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 2003. He faithfully served his congregation and had the profound joy of officiating at the weddings of two of his sons.

Duffy also loved technology long before most people knew what to do with it. He delighted in telling anyone willing to listen that he owned one of the first calculators in Fargo. He was endlessly curious about computers, gadgets, science fiction, fantasy novels, and anything remotely futuristic. There was rarely a technical problem he couldn’t solve — and if the solution required teaching himself to code, so be it. His sons inherited not only his love of science fiction and fantasy, but also the certainty that if something broke, Dad could probably figure it out after muttering for a few minutes.

In his later years, Duffy slowed down only slightly. He enjoyed more naps, more novels, and continued serving the church while managing the family business. He especially treasured time spent with his three grandchildren, whether during summers together in Detroit Lakes, or family trips to Mexico where his eldest son settled.

Duffy will be remembered for his intelligence, humor, kindness, curiosity, and faith. He built buildings, communities, traditions, and a family that loved him. He lived with grace, purpose, and just enough technological confidence to remain everyone’s unofficial IT department well into retirement.

He is survived by his loving wife, Jane; his sons, Matthew (Elsa), Benjamin, and Alex (Vanessa); his grandchildren, Anna, Emily, and Lucy; his two younger brothers, Si and Kelly (Annell); and countless friends, parishioners, ski companions, and people whose computers mysteriously started working again after “Duffy took a look at it.”