Dr. Richard Wallis Williamson, Jr. – beloved father, grandfather, surgeon, and adventurer – passed away peacefully on May 6, 2025, at the age of 81.
Born on June 27, 1943, to Richard Wallis Williamson, Sr. and Alice Neill Williamson, Richard grew up with a boundless sense of curiosity, confidence, and energy that never left him. He attended Southern Methodist University for his undergraduate studies, earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and completed his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He trained under Drs. Charles A. Rockwood and David P. Green.
Drafted during the Vietnam War, Richard was allowed to finish his residency before serving two years as a U. S. Air Force doctor. Wanting to be stationed near water, and not seeing eye to eye with his superiors led him to be based in Tucson, AZ. Disillusioned by the quality of care in the military system, he wrote directly to the Surgeon General. Though he was threatened with reassignment to the Aleutian Islands, his persistence paid off, and he ultimately received an early release.
In 1975, Richard and Dr. John R. Anderson co-founded Orthopedic Associates in Denton, Texas, before relocating the office to Lewisville. Richard was on the cutting edge of knee reconstruction surgery and helped shape the field of modern orthopedics. He also believed deeply in giving back to his community, often providing care to local families in need, often trading services or offering his skills free of charge. He was especially known for treating high school athletes who couldn’t afford care, never turning someone away based on their ability to pay.
He wasn’t just respected – he was revered by his patients and employees, who saw him not as a boss but as a friend and advocate. Richard treated everyone fairly. For years, he hosted Friday night volleyball, and nearly the entire staff would attend. He welcomed his children’s friends like his own and gave more second chances than most people thought to offer.
He was the doctor on the sidelines for the Lewisville High School Fighting Farmers’ Friday night football games and a surgeon who brought healing to thousands, but outside the OR, he was a force of nature.
Richard was a passionate athlete, a triathlete, and most of all, a slalom water skier. He built his own ski lake in Texas and carved through its slalom course nearly every day after work – that lake wasn’t just for skiing; it was the heartbeat of his daily life, a place of peace, focus, and freedom where he felt most himself. After becoming paralyzed 15 years ago, his spirit never wavered. We like to imagine that, in his passing, a boat fired up somewhere, and he’s already skiing again – legs strong, the Texas sun on his face, and a cold Coors Lite in hand.
He lived life boldly and on his own terms – from biking across France and Italy, raising tiger shrimp in Texas, and riding RAGBRAI across Iowa several times. Known for his mischievous spirit, he’d disappear from the team’s host site and return with three six-packs of beer, after riding an average of 70 miles daily. During a triathlon, he once dumped a bag of lawn clippings over his head and wore the sack as a windbreaker to stay warm – a classic Richard move.
He didn’t care what others thought of him. He marched to the beat of his own drum, and those who loved him admired that fiercely independent spirit.
He was also an avid gardener, with extensive knowledge of insects, plants, and animals. He grew incredible tomatoes and roses, nurturing them with the same care and intention he brought to every part of his life. His property featured a large organic garden and a butterfly habitat that he tended with care and curiosity. Even in his surgical work, his creativity showed – he sculpted roses, scorpions, and other designs into the plaster casts of his patients so they could later paint them, turning recovery into art.
Richard is survived by his children, Christopher Williamson, Tina Williamson, and Alex Williamson; his grandchildren, Stella and Justine Fite and Rylee and Wylder Williamson; and his sister Isabelle Griffith. His parents and two wives, Pamela White and Nancy Wharton, preceded him in death, as well as his sister, Ruth Ripley. He is also survived by his former wife, Sandy Williamson, who continues to honor his memory.
Richard requested to be cremated, with his ashes scattered on his cherished property in Aubrey, Texas, beside his favorite dog, Ruby.
If you knew Richard, you know he gave 110% to everything he believed in – family, medicine, waterskiing, and living life to the fullest. His legacy is not just in what he built, but in the countless lives he lifted along the way.
