William C. Williams, 83, real estate broker

William C. Williams, 83, of Huntingdon Valley, a real estate broker and developer, died of complications from Parkinson's disease Sunday at St. Joseph's Manor in Huntingdon Valley.

For 50 years, until retiring in 2003, Mr. Williams operated a brokerage firm in Northeast Philadelphia. In the early years, his daughter Susan said, he sold new homes and later expanded into commercial and industrial real estate with other investors. In the 1970s, he helped convert the former Quaker Rubber Plant in Wissinoming into an industrial park and was one of the first developers to build condominiums in Bucks County, his daughter said.

Mr. Williams cofounded Penta Corporation Insurance in Huntingdon Valley, and was a founding member of the Northeast Philadelphia Multiple Listings Bureau.

An Eagle Scout and graduate of Frankford High School, Mr. Williams served in the Marine Corps during World War II in the South Pacific. As a radar technician, he helped direct pilots flying with the 531 Grey Ghosts, a Marine night-fighter squadron, responsible for shooting down 12 Japanese planes.

After his discharge, Mr. Williams earned his broker's license and a certificate of proficiency in accounting and finance at night from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

He served on the Philadelphia Draft Board during the Vietnam War and served on the Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commissions. He was past president of the Rhawnhurst Lions Club and served on the boards of Frankford Hospital and the Industrial Valley Bank and Trust Company.

Mr. Williams enjoyed golf, bowling, bridge, playing the mandolin, and boating and deep-sea fishing at the Jersey Shore. He was a Civil War buff, his daughter said. His Welsh great-grandfather, William S. Williams, earned his U.S. citizenship after fighting in the Union Army.

In addition to his daughter, Mr. Williams is survived by daughters Patricia Hund, Dianna, and Nancy; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. His wife of 57 years, Catherine Currie Williams, died in 2004.

A Funeral Mass will be said at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow at St. Albert the Great Church, 212 Welsh Rd., Huntingdon Valley. Friends may call at 9:30 a.m. Burial will be in Sunset Memorial Park, Huntingdon Valley.