James Arthur Williamson

James Arthur Williamson, Jr. passed on at home with his wife and daughter by his side on February 11. Jim was a kind and good man. He loved God, he loved his family and friends, and he loved his church and country.

Jim was born in Detroit, the son of James and Geraldine Williamson, on April 16, 1943. He was the beloved husband of Judy and the cherished father of Kate, wife of Ted Matsushita, and grandfather of Maia and Ty. Jim was the much-loved big brother of Jude Ratz, of Apollo Beach, FL; Joy Kreider, of Sinking Spring; and Jan Williamson, of Bethany Beach, DE. He is also survived by his beloved stepmother, Dotty Williamson; stepbrother Bill Frownfelter, of Durango, CO; Daphne Frownfelter, wife of his late stepbrother, Todd; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and their children.

Jim graduated in 1960 from Mt. Penn High School and majored in math at Princeton, where he was in ROTC and wrote his senior thesis on game theory. He received his MBA from Harvard and worked for the Cambridge, MA, office of IBM before leaving for Artillery Officers Basic Training at Fort Sill, OK, where he graduated first in his class. He served as an Army Artillery First Lieutenant from 1966 to 68, mostly at the Pentagon, because he knew the computer programming languages COBOL and FORTRAN. In Washington, he met Judy at a party to which neither had been invited.

After completing his military service, Jim worked as assistant to the president of a computer startup in New York City. In March 1969, he flew to Spain, where Judy was studying, and proposed in a garden in the Alhambra. They were married three months later in Haddam, CT. Jim became a management consultant and decided to attend law school on the G.I. Bill. He graduated with honors from George Washington University Law School, where he was an editor of the Law Review. He was an attorney in the Washington branch of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. He later served as a hearing examiner in the US Dept. of Energy.

On New Year's Eve of 1981, in a snowstorm, Jim and Judy and baby Kate moved to Reading. His dad was ready to retire and wanted Jim to take over the family tool business, JAW Mfg. Co., which he had founded in 1950. Although Jim's dad never did retire, they worked together harmoniously for many years. Jim Jr. never did retire from the business, either.

Jim was a spiritual thinker and an ever-curious science guy who loved to learn. He also loved music. He served on the board of the Reading Musical Foundation and was the President of Star Series. He loved barbershop and singing and performing with the Pretzel City Chorus and also serving on its board. Jim was an active member of Torch Club for many years and enjoyed researching and giving talks––one long ago on this new thing called the Internet, another on artificial intelligence, and more recently on "The Greatest Threat to Democracy: Gerrymandering." Jim was a charter member of the Planetary Society, which sponsored a trip that he and Judy took to Turkey to see the Draconid meteor shower. He relished the opportunity to talk with all the radio telescope people on the bus. Jim was a student of the Bible and looked forward each week to participating in an online Bible study group organized by a dear friend in Lincoln, NE.

Running JAW Mfg. Co. kept Jim busy, but he always had time for his family. He loved playing board games during the frequent visits of Kate, Ted, Maia, and Ty, as well being part of the many Williamson family get-togethers. He loved babies and was wonderful with toddlers and little children. Jim loved to travel, and he, Judy, and Kate had many adventures on their family trips over the years.

Jim was a man of deep faith and a lifelong Christian Scientist. He served his church, First Church of Christ, Scientist in Reading––as First Reader and in many other capacities––with joy, and he endeavored to live the Golden Rule each day. Jim was a man of principle who saw the best in everyone, and his family can truly say they never heard him say an unkind word about anyone. He was kind and gracious, often hilarious, loved God, and knew that no one could ever be separated from the love of God.

There will be a celebration of Jim's life in the spring. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to First Church of Christ, Scientist, Reading, PA, 438 Douglass St., Wyomissing, PA 19610 or to the charity of your choice. Online condolences may be offered at www.kuhnfuneralhomes.com.