- Date Of Birth: May 11, 1932
- Date Of Death: February 7, 2021
- City: Miami
- State: Florida
Jack Howard Williamson died peacefully in his sleep and went home to be with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on February 7, 2021.
He was preceded in death by his father Howard Clark Williamson, his beloved mother Lola Troutman Williamson, sister Diane Gorka, son-in-law Oscar L. Perry and great-granddaughter Lily James Cowen.
He is survived by four daughters – Sandy Perry, Linda Faye Cowen (Jim), Becky Williamson, and Jennifer Williamson (Rodney Carden); three grandsons – Jake Cowen (Jessen) of Benjamin, TX, Jack Cowen (Carrie) of Abilene, TX and Logan Perry (Jesse) of Okeechobee, FL; 4 great-grandchildren – Jack H. Cowen, Jr., Mary Charles Cowen, Ella Faye Perry, and Edward J. Cowen IV.
Jack was born in Miami, FL. The family moved to Indiantown & established Brandywine Acres ranch when he was 10 years old. The name of the ranch was later changed to Williamson Cattle Ranch and is still in existence today on SR 710 in Martin County. Jack attended the Miami Military Academy for a term and graduated from Okeechobee High School in 1950, where he was the Drum Major for the OHS Marching Band. Jack then attended Goldie College in Wilmington, DE, earning a general business degree. He married Faye D. Abney in October 1951 and had 4 daughters. Jack was quoted during a newspaper interview when asked about his greatest accomplishment which he said was one he shared with Faye, “in the raising of their four daughters who have never given us the reason for anything but pride.”
The family attended Dunklin Memorial Baptist Church in Indiantown where Jack served as the treasurer and usher. He also announced the weekly Sunday Dunklin Memorial Hour on WOKC Radio with a longtime schoolmate, best friend, and DMBC preacher, Rev. Mickey Evans. Mickey’s wife, Laura Maye, along with Faye played the Organ and Piano for the instrumental hymn selections.
While living on and working the family ranch with his daughters, Jack and Faye started W & W Lumber in Indiantown with their friends Homer and Iris Wall. Jack was the traveling salesman visiting work construction sites and sharing cold Coca-Cola with the workers and taking material orders. Jack and Faye later sold their interest in W & W Lumber to the Walls, and purchased Rock-A-Way, Inc., a heavy-construction company, from Faye’s father, Parker Abney. The family moved to Okeechobee in 1966, and, over the years, Jack and Faye built several projects, including Seminole Cove and Okeechobee Health Care Facility. Jack’s ranching heritage continues in Indiantown, FL, and Benjamin, TX as his grandsons carry on Papa’s tradition.
The family became members of the First Baptist Church of Okeechobee where Jack served as an usher. He later attended Treasure Island Baptist and Northside Baptist Church and continued his usher services during the Okeechobee Community Choir Cantatas.
Jack’s legacy includes decades of civic service. He became a Master Mason with the Okeechobee Masonic Lodge #237 at 21 years of age, a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason at the age of 25 as well as a Shriner. At the age of 26, Jack became Florida’s youngest county commissioner at that time when he was elected to serve on the Martin County Board of County Commissioners from 1960-1964. He later served on the Okeechobee County Commission from 1969-1972 and 1986-1988. He was on the Board of Trustees of Martin Memorial Hospital, the Okeechobee General Hospital, and then the HCA Raulerson Hospital Board of Directors.
He served as a director of the First Bank of Indiantown, the Okeechobee County Bank, Flagship Bank, and Barnett Bank of Lake Okeechobee. He was a board member of the Martin County Farm Bureau as well as the Okeechobee County Farm Bureau, Dunklin Memorial Camp, the Indian River Mental Health Council and the District 9 Health Planning Council. He served 14 years on the Okeechobee County Planning & Zoning Board, and 10 years on the Central Florida Regional Planning Council, two of which as chairman. Jack served on the Kissimmee River Resource & Planning Council for the full life of the council.
In addition to being a long-time member of the Okeechobee County Cattlemen’s Association, he was an original member of the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Posse, along with his daughter Sandy and son-in-law Rodney. The civic duty from which he received the most joy was his time with the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office Citizens on Patrol program (“COP”) initiated during former Sheriff Paul May’s tenure as sheriff and continued by current Sheriff Noel Stephen. Jack served in this capacity from 2003 through 2017, eventually warranting his own patrol vehicle. Many Okeechobee residents enjoyed and appreciated his safety patrols.
While the girls were growing up, Jack loaded up the horses in the MACK cow truck and headed to Indiantown for the monthly Cracker Saddle Club horse riding competition that he, Faye, Homer, and Iris established where he served as announcer. For years the girls also competed, and he announced at the monthly horse-riding competition at the Jack James Arena in Tropical Farms, Stuart, where the competition was exciting! This tradition continued when the family moved to Okeechobee where he and Faye founded the Okeechobee Saddle Club at the Cattlemen’s Arena, where Jack again was again the announcer. In addition to the monthly competitions, there were Trail Rides up 441 N from the arena to DR Daniel’s Ranch where barbeques and buck dancing to music from the Clayton White band were enjoyed by all.
Jack, Faye, and daughter Becky were instrumental in locating and establishing the current site of the Okeechobee Battlefield with Archeologist Robert Carr of the Archeological & Historical Conservancy of Miami. The 150th anniversary of the fiercest battle of the Seminole wars was held in 1987 with a re-enactment where Jack was asked to portray Col. Zachary Tayler. You knew the annual battle was coming up when Jack started growing out a beard. For many years, he donned the uniform, wielded the saber, and commanded the troops from horseback. He sat a horse well, loved to dance, whether it be waltzing or square dancing, and enjoyed listening to his daughters sing trios acapella, accompany to church and play in piano recitals.
When not patrolling or socializing, Jack spent time reading history books and teaching his grandsons how to ride and rope while telling them about his early cow-hunting adventures. He inherited the love for plants, fruit trees, and roses from his mother, and loved sharing oranges and grapefruit with his Northern friends.
His daughters were raised working cattle and will always remember his standard response to any reported horse wreck or other physical injuries; “it’s a long way from your heart.”
Jack had a hearty laugh and especially enjoyed the stories that emerged from family vacations with other families, especially the one where the kids were seeing snow for the first time, and the dads skiing in jeans and cowboy hats hollering, “Look out below!”. He thoroughly enjoyed the fall hunting trips out west with long-time friends Sonny Williamson, Johnny Pearce, Dr. Manny Garcia, Emory Walker, Ray Domer, and numerous other men.
While his later years were quiet, Jack enjoyed the activities and friendships he developed at Okeechobee Health Care Facility, and his family extends its gratitude and appreciation to the caring staff for the loving care provided to him.
