HENRY WILLIAMSON III

1925 - 2021

WILLIAMSON, III,

Henry B.

Henry B. Williamson III, age 95, died peacefully on March 23, 2021, at his home in Centerville, Ohio.

Known by his family and friends as Hank, he was born in Providence, RI, on October 22, 1925. Mr. Williamson was preceded in death by his father, Henry; his mother, Elizabeth; his sister, Mary Ann; and his son, Charles. Henry is survived by his devoted wife of 59 years, Christine; his two daughters, Elizabeth (Rich) and Ruth (Brad); and his son by a previous marriage, Brad. He also had five grandchildren: Anthony (Grace), Andrew, Emily (Logan), Michael, and Megan; and five great-grandchildren: Iraela, Ember, Cyrus, Judah, and Ezra. Henry also had two dedicated caregivers, Cristie and Karen.

Mr. Williamson was a 1944 graduate of The Manlius School in Manlius, NY, where he was senior class president and cadet captain. Following graduation, he was drafted into the Army's 69th Infantry Division, participating in the Ardennes Campaign, and the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp. He achieved the enlisted rank of Master Sergeant and received the Bronze Star for his contribution during the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, Mr. Williamson attended Brown University and later served in the Army Reserves where he worked for US Army intelligence in Europe during the early 1950s.

Following his second term of military service, Mr. Williamson entered the television industry in Texas and later Los Angeles, working as an announcer and producer. In the early 1960s he initiated his career in the advertising business in New York City.

While living in New York, Mr. Williamson met his wife, Christine, and eventually settled in Ohio. It was here where he raised his family while enjoying a long, fruitful career.

As a local World War II veteran, Mr. Williamson visited the bedsides of terminally ill Dayton area veterans, presenting flag pins in honor of their military service. As one of the last voices of that conflict, he gave numerous presentations to local high school and college students as well as to various civic organizations recounting his experiences in World War II. Mr. Williamson was an active member in the VFW Post 9550 in Centerville, OH, for many years where he served as Chaplain. For 18 years Mr. Williamson was a volunteer at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton and was an active member of the Vineyard Church in Franklin, OH.

Vineyard Franklin will host a covid responsible memorial service for Henry at 7pm on Monday, April 5. The service can be seen online at http://live.vineyardfranklin.com. There will be a time of visitation from 5pm to 7pm.