Julia Victoria Williamson

Julia Victoria Williamson was born October 5, 1923 on John’s Island, SC. Daughter of the late Amos and Louisa Ford, she departed this life peacefully the morning of Friday, May 15, 2020 at the Capital Caring Health Halquist Hospice Center in Arlington, VA, at the age of 96.

Julia was a woman with a kind and gentle spirit, and a loving daughter, sister, mother, spouse, grandmother, counselor, friend and neighbor. Like so many African-American women of her generation, these words don’t come close to capturing the full measure of who she was as a person and what she meant to so many.

Julia was raised in Johns Island, SC, one of the of nine siblings and attended the county public school. Wanting to explore life she left Johns Island at age 16 , move to the city of Charleston, and met and married her late husband Leon Williamson an Army veteran from Dovesville, SC who she met in Charleston, SC. They later travelled around South and North Carolina due to Leon’s job in the construction industry. After settling in Dovesville, SC Leon retired and Julia worked as a homemaker where they Leon raised Nathaniel (Nappy) and Gwen (Koolu)

A woman of many passions, she loved gardening and flowers, animals, old-time gospel music, but most especially, children. She raised and loved Gwen (“Koolu”) and Nathaniel (“Nappy”). From an early age, Ms. Julia taught them how life really works. Although she only had a fourth-grade formal education, she was wise and blessed with good common sense. Her wisdom guided Koolu and Nappy to always

“do the right thing” no matter what, to participate fully in all life has to offer, and to always keep their hands in God’s. Doing so would ensure that things would be alright

Over the course of her lifetime, she acquired many colorful nicknames, each one probably connected to as colorful a back story. You may have known her as Ms. Julia, Julie, Big Jewel, Knife, MahMah, Mother Julia, Mahogany or, perhaps the most fitting, Momma.

Her love of children extended to many others. She helped raise Jerry, Jacoby, Veronica, Richardean, Quan, Carol, Paula, Henry, Samantha, Sara, Wilbur, and Tammy. She also loved her former son-in-law Torsten Fuchs so much that she considered him one of her own. Considered “Momma” and “Ma” by many, she was comforter-in-chief to all.

Julia’s commitment to young people and her community extended to her volunteer activities. For several years, she ran the Darlington County Summer Lunch Program that fed kids in Dovesville, SC and, in 1975, she proudly helped raise over $1,000 in donations towards the building fund for the new Mt. Zion Baptist Church.

Blessed with a visionary mind and a natural curiosity, she enjoyed traveling, and fully immersing herself in everything life has to offer. Late in her life, Ms. Julia even participated in social media, joining Instagram in 2019. Just days before passing, she connected with family members in various states via Zoom. Living life to the fullest she was a willing traveler, a talker with wisdom for all subjects, excellent cook, visionary with a curiosity about everything, full life participant, fierce negotiator, and guidance counselor.

She is preceded in death by one son, James (Sonny Boy) Ford, (Mary) and leaves to cherish her son Nathaniel (Nappy) Ford of Fairfax, VA; daughter Gwen (Koolu) Williamson of Arlington, VA; grandchildren Geneva Holloman, James Ford, Veronica Ford, Jerry Ford (deceased); nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren; loving nieces Joyce Ford and Sharon Ford of Atlanta,GA; Sharon Edwards (Benjamin), Karen Ford and Tarsha Ford of John’s Island , SC and loving nephews Jerome Ford, of John’s Island, SC, Michael Gadsden (Nan) of Yigo, Guam, Rodney Ford, Sr. of John’s Island, SC, John Ford, Jr. (Rita) of Charleston, SC and Felix Moultrie of Patterson, NJ, and special family cousin Ms. Ethel Mae Brown, Darlington, SC, and a host of friends from Wichita, KS to Hamburg, Germany.

We, the family of the beautiful Julia Victoria Williamson, will not face this challenging time alone, but instead thank God for his grace and mercy by allowing our mother to live a full life to the age of 96.

We will be steadily guided and protected by her spirit, and God’s grace, mercy, and his power and authority.

God Bless

~The Williamson Family~