Gary Willaimson

Raymond Gary Williamson
September 8, 1944 - August 12, 2010

Raymond "Gary" Williamson 65, of Russellville, Arkansas went to be with his Lord and Savior Thursday, August 12, 2010. He was born September 8, 1944 at Bremerton, Washington.

Gary co-founder of the Main Street Mission, Russellville, Arkansas, was preceded in death by his mother Margaret Cooper, and his father Edgar Williamson.

Raymond Gary Williamson...husband, father, brother, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend to many. Gary was born September 8, 1944 in Bremerton, Washington to parents Edgar and Margaret Williamson. He went home to his Lord our Father on August 12, 2010. Gary, the son of a Navy man, spent his childhood in various places including San Luis Obispo, CA, where he attended high school taking part in activities such as wrestling, band (he played the tuba), swim team (a champion diver), and various other activities. He also lived over seas in Guam. Eventually fate and the Lord brought Gary to Arkansas. Russellville, Arkansas is where he and his beautiful wife of 35 years, Marilyn, call home. Gary is best known for his service to the Lord through the ministering to all who needed at the Russellville-based Main Street Mission which he and Marilyn officially founded on November 1, 1994. Upon founding the Main Street Mission with Marilyn, Gary dedicated his life to serving the Lord by helping those in need of food, shelter, and ministering to individuals when they visited the Mission. Gary, also known as Pop, or Pops, to many, spent countless hours serving the Lord by serving others, but he was also known as Daddy, Brother, Friend, Big Brother, Brother in Christ, Brother Gary, Paw Paw, mentor, but, mostly he was known for his hard work and dedication to the the Lord. An easy going attitude and a firm commitment to the Lord enabled Gary to grow as a person, a husband, a father, a friend, and a Christian. Surrounded by an extended family at the Mission, Gary, as well as Marilyn, have touched the lives of so many people in so many different ways that it would be impossible to account for them in words. His greatest achievements were of witnessing to others and bringing them to know the Lord, but he also had other notable points of his life that should be mentioned....following in his fathers footsteps Gary served in the Navy for 4 years, stationed in Hawaii most of the time, from approximately Sept. 1961 to Sept. 1965. He was a supervisor for McDonalds corporation in Memphis, Morrilton, and Russellville allowing him to influence the lives of many young people that were in his charge. He worked at Arkansas Nuclear One as a health physics, and South Texas Nuclear Project for a short time where he was badly injured in an accident, but healed by the hand of God in a earthly miracle. He was a professional painter. He owned a chicken farm. He opened a pawn shop in 1991, which eventually became a soup kitchen and then the Main Street Mission, his calling. After about 15 years of serving the Lord by feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and sharing the word of God, Gary was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF), also known as 'hardening of the lungs". Undeterred by his terminal illness Gary continued his work at the Mission while on oxygen, and limited to little physical activity, all the while asking others to concern themselves with the Mission instead of him. A man of action and compassion Gary worked when he could, and worked the phone when he could no longer get around, again telling everyone around him to "make hay while the sun shines" and "lets do the Lords work"......after several months of battling a debilitating lung condition Gary lost his battle with the illness, but he won the blessed privilege of joining the Lord, his Savior in heaven,... something Gary had always prepared himself for, as well as many others. He will be dearly missed, but, his presence will always be felt.....if you don't believe that, just stop by the Mission, you can feel his presence everyday....in everyway. Amen Gary! and thank you for showing us the way to live.....

He is survived by his loving wife of 35 years Marilyn Williamson, the respective co-founder of the Main Street Mission, a sister Star Stephenson, a half brother Jay Williamson, son Tim Tarkington and his wife Christy, son Raymond Gary Williamson Jr. and his wife Terri, daughter Linda Robertson and husband Colin, daughter Sherri Patton, and several grandchildren and great grandchildren, as well as an extremely large family from the Main Street Mission who he so dearly loved.

Memorial Service will be 2:00pm Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at the First Assembly of God Church, Hwy 7 South and East G Street, Russellville, Arkansas 72081.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to: Main Street Mission 1101 East 2nd Street Russellville, AR 72801