SERVICES: 12 NOON SATURDAY AT OTT AND LEE FUNERAL HOME IN BRANDON
BURIAL: BETHEL CEMETERY
VISIT 10:30 AM SATURDAY AT OTT AND LEE IN BRANDON
Billy M. “Bill” Williamson, 81, passed away Wednesday, January 23, 2013 after a one-day stay at Hospice Ministries, Inc., in Ridgeland, MS. Prior to being there, he had been treated since December 2012 by Gentiva Hospice (Home), and his family would like to express their utmost thanks to the wonderful nurses from Gentiva, all of whom gave extraordinary care to our precious loved one.
Funeral Services will be held Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 12 Noon from the Chapel of Ott & Lee Funeral Home in Brandon, MS. Visitation will be from 10:30 am until 12 Noon. Burial will follow at Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery in Brandon, MS.
Bill was born February 25, 1931 in Neshoba, MS to the late Hughie and Brunice Lee Williamson. He was a 1949 graduate of Union High School in Union, MS. He followed high school with a short stint in the U.S. Navy but was medically discharged when, prior to basic training, a chronic kidney ailment was diagnosed. He returned home and attended Draughon’s Business College in Jackson, where in 1951, he not only received a diploma but the love of the prettiest girl in his class, Eva Joe Trest. Eva Joe would become his beloved wife in 1952 and would be a wonderful mother to the four children they would have. She passed away in 1992, after forty years of marriage. Bill married Martha Riggins in 1998, and they have loved and enjoyed each other for the past 14 plus years.
Bill worked in the trucking industry in various managerial positions for many years in Mississippi and Arkansas. In Arkansas, he served as an airplane pilot for private businesses for 13 plus years. Bill had a commercial pilot’s license with an instrument rating. He had a great passion for flying and enjoyed being a pilot. He is a former member of the Civil Air Patrol, where he served as a 1st Lieutenant.
Bill loved the Lord Jesus Christ and enjoyed worshipping in and serving in the Churches he attended. He was an ordained deacon at five Churches in Arkansas and Mississippi and enjoyed teaching Sunday School. In 1998, he and his wife, Martha, joined Crossgates Baptist Church in Brandon and became members of the Bob Maselle Sunday School Class. Martha would like to thank the Church and their Class for the love and support they gave to Bill and her during his illnesses and surgeries. She especially thanks staff member, B. J. Teague, for her extraordinary care and support.
Bill had many interests. He was an avid competitor in golf, tennis, and bowling. He loved country music, and he and his brother, Johnny, both guitarists, enjoyed getting together and singing and playing the old country songs of their youth. Martha enjoyed listening to them and thought they were talented.
Bill was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Eva Joe; brothers, Archie and James Allen; his parents; and an infant sister. He is survived by his wife, Martha; sons, Gary and Greg (Beth); daughters, Leisa Hughes (Kelly) and Jana Foster (Steve); brothers, Johnny and Sam; sisters, Dean Dove, Ellen Brewer (Tommy), and Gloria Wilson (James). Bill was very grateful to his sister Ellen for donating one of her kidneys to him in 1984. Her kidney was a perfect match his entire life. He is also survived by ten grandchildren, Chris and Joseph Williamson, Ashley Taylor (Adam), Sarah and Jonathan Hughes, Eva Rodriguez (Jose), Abby and Natalie Foster, Katelyn Handley (Guy), and Sadie Williamson. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews, and by his beloved dog, Jake.
Bill’s favorite Bible verses were Ephesians 2: 8 and 9: “For by Grace you have been saved through Faith and that not of yourselves; it is the Gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. “ He loved to read books by and about Christian author and world-renowned pastor, Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892. Spurgeon’s books brought him great comfort.
We love you so much, Bill, and miss you terribly. God Bless You, our Beloved.