In January, the world lost an adored family member and friend and a gifted member of the theatre community.
Wesley Williamson passed away on January 21, 2021, at the age of 27. Following his death, friends and family of the big-hearted Northwest alumnus established the Wesley Waldrop Williamson Theatre Endowed Scholarship.
Williamson was a Northwest Theatre student from 2013-2015. Talented at his craft, he and fellow Theatre student Aaron Brasher were the first in Northwest history to pass through the semi-final round of the Irene Ryan Acting Competition, part of the annual Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.
At Northwest, he had roles in “Miss Firecracker,” “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” and “An Inspector Calls,” which he returned to participate in after graduating.
“Wesley was a one-of-a-kind student, and quite literally had a one-of-a-kind heart,” said Sadie Shannon, Fine Arts instructor. “He loved like no other and could brighten anyone’s day. He started as my student, but after he graduated, he became one of my dearest friends and colleagues. It was my honor to know and love him.”
He spent the summer after his graduation from Northwest as a guest Teaching Artist at Appel Farm Arts & Music Center in New Jersey. In the fall, he enrolled at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting and Performance with Honors.
With his undergraduate career behind him, he spent a year and a half teaching theatre at Horn Lake before deciding to take a break. During this time, he worked for DeSoto Family Theatre. He eventually returned to teaching, accepting a position at South Panola High School, where he was still working at the time of his passing.
Williamson is the son of Wayne and Jane Williamson of Olive Branch. Jane Williamson is a Northwest retiree, who taught in Career-Technical Education’s Business Technology program for 34 years. Along with their son, the Williamsons also have a daughter, Shannon, son-in-law, Jerry, and a grandson, Beckett, who arrived in May of 2021.
Williamson was born with a congenital heart defect. His parents learned of his heart condition five months into his mother’s pregnancy. Doctors informed them that their son would require surgery almost immediately after birth, which could be done in California or Pennsylvania. He was born at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania on July 7, 1993, and had his first heart surgery five days later. He underwent another heart surgery when he was six months old, and another when he was two years old.
As parents to a child with a serious medical condition, his father acknowledges that they could have chosen to keep him in a bubble.
“He went through life living it to the fullest,” he said. “We could have held him back, but we didn’t.”
As a son, his parents describe him as “special.” He showed love to his family openly and often, leaving notes for his parents and hugging them frequently, no matter his age and not caring who saw.
“He was very loving,” his father said. “The amount of love that he poured out to us, it was not normal. It was like he knew he wasn’t going to be here forever. He bottled up a lifetime of love into 27 years.”
Theater was Williamson’s “niche,” as his condition did not allow him to play sports. His parents say they have no idea where his theatrical talent came from, but recall that it first emerged when he was a third-grade student at SBEC, now Northpoint Christian School. His passion for theatre only grew from there.
“He didn’t get every part he tried out for, but he persevered,” Jane Williamson said.
He honed his talent at many local theaters, including DeSoto Family Theatre, Panola Playhouse, Kudzu Playhouse, Harrell Theatre, and Theatre Memphis. He acted in productions including “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “The Foreigner,” “Mamma Mia!,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Oklahoma,” “Wizard of Oz,” “Hello Dolly,” “Music Man,” and countless others.
In addition to acting, Williamson also developed a love of directing, earning multiple “Allie” awards for outstanding performances and directing.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, both Williamson and his family feared for his health. Toward the end of his life, his mother also worried he was too busy, between teaching, acting and his social life.
“I just think he wanted to get it all in,” she said.
After his death, social media was flooded with tributes to Williamson, many referencing one of his favorite quotes, and one that his parents say describes him to a T: “Normalize telling people that you love them. Tell them a lot. Make it weird.” Friends and acquaintances of Williamson’s have reached out to his parents in the months since to tell stories of how he positively impacted their lives in one way or another.
“He emulated Christ as best he could, and not too many people can say that,” Wayne Williamson said. “I just think he treated everybody the way Jesus wants us to treat people. He’s taught me a lot.”
Since its establishment, one student has already benefitted from Williamson’s scholarship. His parents say they are just happy to know the funds will be awarded for years to come to students who love theatre and simply want the opportunity to further their knowledge.
Theatre students receiving the Wesley Waldrop Williamson Theatre Endowed Scholarship must maintain a GPA of 2.5 while enrolled with the college.
For more information about scholarships, or to contribute to Williamson’s scholarship, call the Foundation Office at (662) 560-1103 or email Scholarship Coordinator Anna Slocum at aslocum@northwestms.edu.
