Deceased April 24, 1980
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In Memory
It is with profound sorrow that we must announce that John Ross Williamson was killed in an automobile accident on April 24, 1980, in Kendall, a suburb of Miami, Fla., where John was the sole owner of the only all-Adidas sportswear store south of the Mason-Dixon Line. He was 26 years old.
The retail establishment was in The Falls, the newest and one of the most prestigious shopping malls in Florida. At the time of his death, he was investigating locations for a second store for what he anticipated would become a uniquely successful chain.
John was named after John Ross, the great chief of the Cherokee Nation, in deference to his strain of Cherokee blood. He was born in New York City and came to Amherst from Baldwin High School on Long Island. At Amherst, he was a tenor soloist with the Glee Club, twice going on world tour. He is remembered by his friends as a genuinely caring person, interested in helping others realize their full potential as individuals.
A memorial service at First Church Baldwin Methodist was attended by more than 300 people who came from many parts of the country and from as far away as Holland to express their regret at this passing and to share their memories of him. Edgar Neel ’75, who was John’s roommate through college, delivered the eulogy.
John is survived by his mother, Ruth Lundgren Williamson, president of Ruth Lundgren Ltd., a public relations firm, and his brother, Mark Ward Williamson ’78. His father. W. D. Williamson, who died in 1965, was president of the National Association of Hosiery Manufacturers.