Williams said he showed the same determination in battling his illness as he did in 133 games, including 55 tests, in the black jersey.
"He never backed down from any challenge or fight, and that's why he was not only a great player, but a great New Zealander," he said. "He enjoyed a challenge and he was always up for it."
Williams remembered Meads during the prime of his career, marvelling at his influence over the All Blacks side during their 1970 tour of South Africa.
Meads suffered a broken arm during a particularly brutal clash against Eastern Transvaal, but finished the match.
He missed the first two tests, but returned to play in the third, with his fractured arm protected by a flimsy guard.
"I only played with him in the last two or three years of his career, but in 1970, my first tour to South Africa, his form was irresistible.
"And I've got no doubt that had he stayed fit - he sustained a broken arm during that tour - I feel sure that we would have won the series. That's probably a big statement, even with their referees.
"When he was injured, it was such a huge blow to our chances and even then, he was able to come back and play again with a broken arm.
"So, again, that illustrates the character and courage of the man."
Meads had a unique presence about him and Williams said he remained in awe of his friend until the end.
"I'd still get goose bumps when I was in his company, because you look up to them so much, they're your heroes as you're growing up, and suddenly you find yourself playing alongside them and in their company.
"It never changed, right up until the last time I saw him. I still felt overawed in his company and that's the measure of my regard for him.
"He was just a fantastic New Zealander."
Meads was a relatable character with broad interests beyond the 15-man game, said Williams.
"He led such a well-rounded life and, in that respect, he was such a great role model for anyone really.
"It's not just a matter of what he did on a rugby field or in your particular field of expertise, but it's how you live your life. He lived a fantastic life and gave so much back to his community ... the likes of him we won't see again for sure."
Veteran rugby journalist Phil Gifford was in shock with the news, despite the very public knowledge that Sir Colin was ill and probably would not recover.
"When I was growing up in the 1960s, he was totally iconic," he recalled. "He was, in the 1960s, what Richie McCaw was in more recent years.
"With all due respect to the great players that he played with, if you thought of the All Blacks, the first person you thought of was Colin Meads. There was something about the man and there were a number of issues ...
"First of all, the way that he played the game ... he was just indomitable. He was a Sir Edmund Hillary lookalike and there were legends about how he ran up hills in the King Country.
"In years later, there was the time and effort he made for other organisations ... he was an extraordinarily generous-spirited man, which probably every international rugby player that played against him would have seen.
"He was just a terrific guy."
Gifford remembered a conversation with Sir Colin, in which the great man admitted feeling "not terribly well liked".
"He said - and this is an exact quote - 'I think people think of me as a dirty bugger'.
"One of the great delights for me, as a Colin Meads fan, was watching as his life progressed, and the time and effort he gave to other people. I think it began to dawn on him that, far from being disliked, he was revered and liked and, in some cases, loved."
Former team-mate and All Blacks coach Alex "Grizz" Wyllie considered Sir Colin "bulletproof", even when he was injured or ill.
"During his time as a player, he was great," Wyllie told Veitch. "There really wasn't anyone better.
"What he did on the field and what he got away with - and how perhaps other players feared him - made him that way. It didn't matter what position he was in or where he was on the field that made you wonder how or why."
Wyllie recalled coming into the All Blacks team in 1970, when Meads was captain.
"He was great with younger players, he gave me his rugby jersey to swap, because he said I'd want to keep my first jersey.
"He was great with younger players and you learnt to respect everything he was about the game. He said he would never be a great coach, but he just loved the game."
