Jerry Lynn Williams

Today we mourn the loss of Jerry Lynn Williams who was born November 21, 1954, to a large, poor family in Jacksonville, North Carolina. He passed away December 23, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. He was 71. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, James Harley Williams and Barbara Alice Williams; brothers, James (Bud) Harley Williams Jr., Milton Williams, Alton Williams, and Gary Williams; and sister, Edith Williams awaiting in Heaven to greet him.

Jerry is survived by two brothers, Orvis (Augie) Williams of Charlottesville, Virginia, and Jeffery (Terry) Glenn Williams of Jacksonville, North Carolina; along with several sisters, Judy Tasker of Ayden, North Carolina, Margaret Taylor of Grenada, Mississippi, Debbie (Bill) Abbott of Richlands, North Carolina, and Vicky Orr of Richlands, North Carolina.

Jerry is also survived by his two children, Felicia (Jamie) Waller of Columbus, Ohio, and son Iran Williams of Jacksonville, North Carolina; six grandchildren, Matraca (Tracy) Huber of Halifax, North Carolina, Robin Henderson of Aguilar, Colorado, Lennon Davis of Hickory, North Carolina, Allison VonWaller of Columbus, Ohio, Hailey Williams, and Chloe Williams; three great-granddaughters, Lillyth Huber-Ferrell and Willow Huber-Ferrell from Halifax, North Carolina, and Alice Davis of Hickory, North Carolina; with a special mention to his nephew/bonus son, Michael Edmunds of Illinois.

Jerry was one of a kind. Though he thought he was Superman, he was more like Iron Man with all the bone replacements and metal in him. He was very stubborn and hard-headed, which is probably why he lived so long. He would get knocked down but always walked it off and got back up. He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it and had it to give. There was no place he couldn't make a friend. People could have learned a few things about how to treat other human beings from his unconditional forgiveness, love, respect and tolerance of other people that he lived and grew up when it was chaotic times he went through.

Jerry was a drywall finisher and painter for most of his life and was very talented on stilts and with putty. He loved working with and for his family. Michael Edmonds was working with him and his grandfather, James (Bud) Harley Williams Jr. teaching the next generation a trade. He was an avid music fan and would teach us all kinds of songs from Charlie Daniels and Johnny Paycheck to Slipknot, CCR, and many more while playing his harmonica. He took his harmonica everywhere.

Jerry loved camping, fishing, boating along the rivers, snake hunting, wrestling, he wouldn't miss a Monday or a Friday, if he could help it, and making "lizard gizzard" stew which was actually deer meat.

He had a talent for building anything he could imagine from tree chair, natural rock and dirt mosaic patio, the awesome tree house for all of us to play in.

Jerry loved sitting on his porch in his rocking chair making memories with all kinds of people he welcomed into his life and had some kind of influence on each and every one, in the heat of the North Carolina sun with the ones he loved in what he called "The Hole in The Wall"

Celebration of life will be celebrated at a later date in North Carolina and Ohio