Casey Williams

Edward Carson Williams, Jr., (Casey), noted Houston artist and beloved husband and dad, died from encephalitis caused by West Nile virus on New Year's Day, 2013 in Houston, Texas. He was 65.
Casey was born in 1947 in Houston to Dr. Edward Carson Williams, professor of Urology at Herman Hospital and Margaret Turner Williams. His grandfather was Dr. Ben Weems Turner, M.D., Houston's first medical specialist and founder of the Turner Urological Clinic. Casey was an alumnus of Lamar High School and The University of Texas at Austin, where he met his wife Jo Ann. They moved to San Francisco in 1974, where he earned an MFA in Photography at the San Francisco Art Institute. He taught photography at The University of North Texas and returned to Houston in the late 70s to start the photography department for Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Houston. While living in Austin in the 80s, he taught photography at St. Edward's University and at The University of Texas San Antonio. In Houston, he taught photography for Rice University's Continuing Education Department. His awards include a residency with Lightworks, Syracuse, NY, a visiting artist position at UT San Antonio, and Photographer of the Year, 2005 for Houston Center for Photography.
His work is a part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, Laguna Gloria Art Museum, Austin, TX, and the Gernsheim Collection at The University of Texas. His current show, "Within" is on exhibition at the Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas, TX through February 16, 2013.
Aside from his work, Casey was well known for his irreverent humor, wit, and charm. He was an avid music lover and audiophile and a major supporter of Nameless Sound. He collected vintage German cars, was a surfer, and as a teen in the late 60s, was perhaps the first dealer of Greg Noll custom surfboards in Houston. In pursuit of the perfect wave, he and his wife Jo Ann spent months traveling through Mexico before marrying in the town hall of Guadalajara, Jalisco in 1972.
Casey leaves behind his wife Jo Ann, founder of ArtBridge Houston, children Margot Williams and Carson Williams, his sister Margo Connolly, brother in law Michael Connolly, and niece Megan Connolly.
A memorial service will be held at the Rothko Chapel on Tuesday January 8th at 4:00 p.m. Those attending are encouraged to arrive early, as seating is limited.
The Williams family, with deepest gratitude, would like to thank the exceptional staff who cared for him at Select Specialty Hospital.
In Casey's honor, please make donations to Nameless Sound http://www.namelesssound.org and ArtBridge Houston http://artbridgehouston.org.