John Fredrick Williamson, Sr., age 92, of San Antonio and New Braunfels, Texas went to be with his Heavenly Father on February 20, 2023, surrounded by his family.
A devoted Christian, John was born on June 12, 1930, in Devine, Texas, at home, to Fred and Allene Williamson. The second oldest of four children, John graduated from Devine High School at age 16 when there were only 11 grades. He met the love of his life, Mary Grace Henson, at a school dance, when he was 18 and she was 16. Mary always felt that God had put them together at that early age. They married 2 years later, on June 30, 1950, weeks after Mary graduated from high school. They spent their early married years living with his grandparents while he worked as a carpenter, butane gas truck driver and life insurance salesman while supporting his young family, and his widowed mother and sisters.
In 1956, he moved his family to San Antonio and took a job at the Burroughs Corporation selling adding machines. Through that job, he was fortunate to meet a business associate that owned a data processing company, called Central Processing Center. In 1968, he joined CPC as an owner and was instrumental in CPC pioneering the conversion of banks and savings and loans to their ‘on line’ mainframe computers via high speed phone lines, replacing the bank’s hand written, manual account systems. After 20 years of his leadership, CPC went public by joining FiServ in 1985, allowing him an early retirement at age 57.
John enjoyed vacations of all kinds with his family. Early on, there were many memorable camping trips to the Medina River, complete with lots of Dr. Pepper and Vanilla creme cookies, under the big Cypress trees by the rapids. Also, there were countless weekends taking the boat to Canyon Lake, skiing, and tubing, with John primarily driving the boat, and occasionally getting in a ski run himself. His family’s love of the lake turned into building their dream home on Lake Dunlap in New Braunfels, where he bar-b-qued many chickens, and smoked many briskets, to feed the hungry kids coming off the lake. Not limiting their travels to just Texas, they also enjoyed international travel to Israel, Europe, the Caribbean, and Hawaii. Beyond that there were many cruises, and an African safari with their best friends from Devine, the Belews. John and Mary also fell in love with Breckenridge, Colorado, where they purchased a home, and spent winters skiing and summers hiking with their family. They also enjoyed the annual ‘Happy Everything’ summer family reunions at their lake house.
John and Mary had a deep faith in God and were active members of several churches throughout his lifetime. Their involvement in Trinity Baptist Church and The Fellowship of San Antonio, as well as Oakwood Baptist in New Braunfels generated many lifelong friendships. John was a generous man, supporting both local and international causes. In recent years, a commitment to sponsoring 6 children and funding building projects at the Jehovah Jireh school in Nicaragua, touched his heart in a particular way. These acts of benevolence were an indication of his supportive, positive, and encouraging manner. John was known to inspire people with his simple but powerful line to ‘just do the next, best thing.’
He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Mary Grace, his sister Patricia Voelz, and his three children: Cyndi Wideman, of McKinney, Marilyn Ammon (Bob), of Waco, and John Williamson Jr. (Donna), of Dripping Springs. John also has 7 grandchildren, John, Kari, Ryan, Robyn, Audrey, Ava, and Scott, plus 8 great-grandchildren, Jossalyn, Jacob, James, Beau, Jackson, Cooper, Hayes, and Grace. Funeral services will be at Primrose Funeral Home in Devine, Texas, on March 3rd, at 2 pm, with a committal ceremony following at Evergreen Cemetery. Primrose Funeral Home used to be the First Baptist Church in Devine, where John and Mary were married, and where John was named the youngest deacon ever at the time. He always kept in mind and his heart the wonderful promise God gives in Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to FundaCristo Missions International (www.fundacristo.com) or a charity of your choice.
Visitation will be held on Friday, March 3,2023, starting at 1:00 P.M. with a Funeral Service to beginning at 2:00 P.M. Primrose Funeral Services Chapel, Devine, Texas with interment to follow at Evergreen cemetery.
Anyone wishing to leave condolences, share memories, or sign the online guestbook may do so at www.primrosefuneralservices.com Arrangements are under the direction of Primrose Funeral Services, Devine, Texas 78016, (830) 663-4445.