Jean Anthony Williamson

1930 - 2025

Jean Anthony Williamson passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on February 18, 2025. She is survived by her children Henry Watkins Williamson, Jr. (Maria) of Greensboro, North Carolina; Lucy Williamson Hines (Ashley) of Greenville, Mississippi; and John Anthony Williamson (Kathy) of Memphis; grandchildren Jacqueline Marie Williamson (Dan), Henry Watkins Williamson III (Josephine), Matthew Alexander Williamson (Beth), Rachel Maria Williamson, Warren Anthony Hines (MacKenzie), Margaret Hines de Koning (Roeland), Sophie Williamson Kokernot (Peter), John Taylor "Jack" Williamson, Laurel Wilder Williamson, and Anna Katherine Zanone, as well as 18 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ola Keaton and Charles Anthony; her husband, Henry W. Williamson, Sr.; her sisters, E?e Ola Chenault, Elaine Dooley, Rose Robertson, as well as four half brothers and three half sisters.

A fifth generation West Tennessean and the youngest daughter of Ola Keaton and Charles Anthony, Jean was born in Henning, Tennessee, on September 27, 1930. She graduated from Ripley High School in Ripley, Tennessee, and was a cum laude graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and Mortar Board.

On August 15, 1953, Jean married Henry W. Williamson, Sr. of Mason, Tennessee, and they celebrated over 56 years of happiness as husband and wife. As a resident of Memphis all of her adult life, Jean worked as a teacher at Grace St. Luke's Episcopal School and Briarcrest Christian School. She was active in Second Presbyterian Church, served on the board of the Memphis Symphony League, and was a Regent of the Watauga Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Jean enjoyed playing bridge, listening to music, reading, gardening, and spending time with her extended family and friends. In her later years, Jean was the matriarch of her family and was a?ectionately known to her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and their friends as "Grandma Jean." She will be lovingly remembered for her service as a teacher, sharp-witted sense of humor, and Southern hospitality. Most importantly, Jean was devoted to her family and served as a role model for her children, grandchildren, and all who knew her.

The family wishes to extend thanks to the caregivers who assisted Jean in her final days. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the charity of choice.

Graveside service and interment at Woodlawn Cemetery in Fayette County at 10:30 am on Saturday, March 1, 2025.