Obituary of John Williamson

John D. Williamson, age 85, of Trumbull, passed away on Friday, January 27, 2023 at St. Vincent’s Medical Center with his family by his side. He was the beloved husband of the late Mary F. Gorman Williamson. Born in Baltimore, Maryland on April 28, 1937, he was a son of the late David M. Williamson and Winifred M. Wagner Williamson and was a longtime resident of Trumbull.

John was mostly raised in the Upper Midwest; due to moving during his senior year he participated in graduation ceremonies for both Wadsworth, OH and Orchard Park, NY high schools. He earned a Bachelor of Management Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1959 and an M.B.A. from the University of Bridgeport in 1976. After graduating from RPI, where he was in the ROTC, he received his commission in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Aschaffenburg, Germany. While there, he met Mary Gorman, who was teaching at the U.S. Army Dependents School, on sabbatical from Jane Ryan School in Trumbull.

John and Mary were married in 1962 and enjoyed 51 years together in Trumbull, raising two children and many animals, and taking a number of cruises and other trips in their later years. John worked in human resources for several Bridgeport area companies and the State of Connecticut, retiring in 2006. After his wife’s passing in 2014, John enjoyed spending winters in Texas with his daughter Clare’s family, as well as his sister Jan and her family. He especially liked watching his grandson and grandniece compete in sports and band events.

An admirer of sports cars from a young age, John began his passion for autocross while stationed in Germany. On return to civilian life in Connecticut, he was a member of the Bonnet & Boot and Mattatuck sports car clubs, often earning top honors at competitions throughout the region. Taking a hiatus in 1973, he returned to the sport in 1996 after his son David started autocrossing. Before suffering a stroke in 2019, John regularly competed in local and national events, was a member of the Fairfield County Sports Car Club, CART, and SCCA, and served on the FCSCC Board of Directors for many years.

Survivors include two loving children, David M. Williamson of Trumbull and Clare M. Williamson, DVM of Fort Worth, TX; Clare's husband David Montgomery and their son Quinn P. Montgomery; and John's two sisters, Janet Willis and Diane Williamson.

 A funeral service will take place on Friday, February 3, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. in the Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Rd., Trumbull. Interment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Trumbull. Friends may greet the family on Thursday afternoon from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home.