Thomas Williamson

1924 - 2015

Thomas Benton Williamson

February 1, 1924-August 28, 2015

Tom Williamson of Orinda, CA, died peacefully on August 28, 2015 surrounded by his wife and family members.

Tom was born to a pioneer Oregon family. His grandfather's family came by covered wagon from Independence, Missouri to the Willamette Valley in the 1850's settling in Albany, Oregon. His parents, Elmer Benton Williamson and Hildegarde Spillman Williamson, were involved in banking, and Tom had fond memories of his youth in the Pacific Northwest. He had a younger sister, Elinore W. Kueper, who lived on Prince Edward Island, Canada and preceded him in 2010.

Tom attended Albany High School and received his BA from Stanford University in 1948 after a stint as a Navy pharmacist's mate during WWII. After graduation he went on to Harvard Law School and received his JD in 1951. It was in Boston that Tom, a life long collector, became deeply interested in the Old China Trade between the US and China. The art, history and artifacts of that period covering the late 1700's through the 1840's were a collecting passion throughout his life. There were many wonderful letters and conversations around the world with his "Old China" hands.

After law school, Tom returned to San Francisco in 1951 and went to work at Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Beane where he remained his entire working life until he retired in 1994. He was well known for his veracity and calm with his clients.

His other deep interest was his love of the mountains. In his early years he spent all of his vacation time and most weekends hiking through the North Cascades, Sierras, Rockies and Wind Rivers. One of his last treks was an extraordinary journey in 1969 from Kathmandu to the main base camp of Mount Everest. He was part of an illustrious group that was led by Tenzing Norgay, who along with Sir Edmund Hillary, were the first known climbers to reach the summit in 1953. It was unquestionably his greatest adventure.

In 1971 Tom married a young widow, Merlon Albrecht Howard, who had also been a Stanford classmate. She brought three teenage sons and Tom's bachelor life changed forever. From a charming apartment in San Francisco to the suburbs in Orinda was quite a departure from his daily routine. Tom always remarked with a great smile and wonderful affection that he never quite knew what hit him. He was a great role model for his boys and for that they will be forever grateful. He enjoyed lasting friendships and pleasant times at the Orinda Country Club.

For all his accomplishments Tom will be best remembered for his kindness and graciousness. He was a gentleman in the finest sense and always had a smile, a compliment and wonderful demeanor. His ubiquitous bowtie was a familiar look along with his great wit and keen observations about life. He loved his family and most of all, his wife. We will miss him greatly.

Tom is survived by his wife of 44 years, Merlon Howard Williamson and his three step sons: Tim Howard, wife Sally and their three children, Pete, Mike and Katie; Rick Howard, wife Ginger and their two children, Ellie and Will; and Dave Howard, wife Sue and their children, Tom (wife Rachel), Annie and Joe. Dave and Sue's daughter, Kelly, preceded Tom in 1985.

A family service was held in the chapel at the Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church on September 3.