*The following obituary was submitted by the family of J.T. Williamson.
John Thomas (J.T.) Williamson, 52, of Madison, Mississippi passed away peacefully at home on July 31, 2021, after a hard-fought battle with lymphoma.
J.T. was born on September 5, 1968, in Jackson, Mississippi to the late Johnnie H. and Barbara Hills Williamson. He graduated from Wingfield High School in Jackson and then attended Mississippi State University where he married Janet Roebuck Williamson at the Chapel of Memories on December 21, 1991.
J.T. is known around the state of Mississippi as being an extraordinary radio personality and announcer for high school football games. He began his long career in the 1980s by volunteering at the WMUW radio station for the Mississippi University for Women. While living in Starkville, he worked and hosted at a number of radio stations before returning to his hometown of Jackson.
A longtime fan of car racing, he began working as an announcer at the Jackson Motor Speedway. J.T. went through a number of roles—program director at Z106, host of the program TraxTalk, and production and programming manager for SuperTalk—before becoming the host of the J.T. and Dave Show in 2002. Eventually, that became just “The J.T. Show.” For years, J.T. used his three hours a day on statewide radio to impact the lives of Mississippians with his discussions on politics, cooking, and sports. He truly loved his listeners and always welcomed a heated, yet civil, argument.
In addition to his legacy as a radio host, J.T. left a legacy through his numerous hobbies and passions. He loved cars, hunting, cooking, grilling, classic rock music, hanging with his best buds, and watching his Mississippi State Bulldogs play. He used these hobbies—especially cooking—to show love to those around him. You would never leave his house with an empty stomach! J.T. was a fantastic host to family and friends, whether it be at a Mississippi State tailgate or at the Annual Williamson Christmas Eve party—a tradition for over twenty years. But more than anything, J.T. loved his wife and kids. He loved watching his son J.T. Jr. play for the MRA football and basketball teams. He was so proud when his daughter Emily made the cheerleading team at Mississippi State. He and his wife Janet were married happily for twenty-nine years, and he wanted nothing more than to make it to year thirty this December.
When faced with the diagnosis of cancer, J.T. was resilient. He never gave up and fought the disease until his last day.
J.T. was a member of Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison. He is survived by his wife of nearly thirty years, Janet Roebuck Williamson of Madison, MS; his two children J.T. Williamson Jr. (Hilary Michele) of Birmingham, AL and Emily Lynn Williamson of Madison, MS; and his sister Mary Goodson of Long Beach, MS.
Visitation and services will be held at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison, MS. Visitation will be on Wednesday, August 4, 2021, from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. The service will follow on Thursday, August 5, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be made to the J.T. Williamson Education Support Fund at the Palmer Home. P.O. Box 746, Columbus, MS 39703. The family also asks you to consider donating blood and/or platelets to Mississippi Blood Services. Over the last eighteen months, donations were instrumental in allowing J.T. more precious time on earth.
