Gloria Lakenan Williamson

Gloria Lakenan Williamson, 95, of Charlotte, North Carolina, formerly of Jackson, passed away on March 8, 2026.

Born on February 28, 1931, in Perryville, Missouri, to William Kinnison and Ruby Nelson Lakenan, Gloria graduated from Perryville High School before earning a Bachelor of Arts from Southwestern (Rhodes College) in Memphis, a Master of Arts from Memphis State University, and training as a cryptologist in Washington, D.C.

In 1953, she married William Taylor Williamson. The couple settled first in Mason, Tennessee, where Gloria taught school, and later moved to Jackson in 1960. There she taught French at Jackson High School before stepping away from the classroom to raise her three daughters, Deborah, Denise, and Jean. She then began a 40-year career as a piano teacher, nurturing a love of music in generations of students. A devoted member of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Gloria was an avid reader with a particular interest in books on World War II, Winston Churchill, and U.S. presidents. She also enjoyed knitting, playing bridge, solving crossword and jigsaw puzzles, and cheering for the St. Louis Cardinals and Duke Blue Devils.

In 2006, Gloria moved to Charlotte to be near family, especially her grandchildren. She was a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, known for her warmth, wit, generosity, and wise guidance through life’s challenges. She is survived by two daughters, Denise W. (Ross) Wilson of Charlotte and Jean W. (Travis) Ward of Dallas, Texas; grandchildren Meredith (Justin) Gern, Patrick (Brittany) Witt, Bennett Witt, Grayson Witt, Anne Wilson, Hill Wilson, and Kinnison Ward; nine great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, in 1988 after 35 years of marriage; her daughter, Deborah Witt; her parents; and her siblings, Peggy Davis and Bill Lakenan.