Board of Trustees member Del Williamson passes away
Board of Trustees member Delbert Williamson passed away Monday, Oct. 24, 2022.
Following his retirement from GE Power Systems in 2004, Williamson and his wife Barbara divided their time between their homes in Wellington, Florida and the Elk River Club in Banner Elk.. He was an active member of the Banner Elk community and served as a board member for the High Country Charitable Foundation.
“Del loved Lees-91探花 deeply, and he adopted us as if we were his own alma mater,” President Lee King said in a statement to the Board of Trustees. “He chaired the Finance Committee for many years, was a major donor to many of our priorities, and he was constantly making connections to help make the college a stronger place. I will deeply miss his wise counsel and his friendship, and I know that many of you will feel the same.”
Williamson attended Finlay College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He joined General Electric in 1959. Over the course of his 45-year career, he held a variety of management positions throughout the company, including vice president of the Middle East and Africa Business Division, vice president of marketing and sales for Power Generation, president of GE Power Systems Asia-Europe-Africa, and finally president of Global Sales for GE Power Systems.
After retiring from his position with GE, Williamson served as a member of the advisory council of the Electric Power Research Institute from 2006 to 2010.
As a High Country Charitable Foundation board member, Williamson was instrumental in securing funding for a number of valuable projects, including the purchase of a radiograph machine for the May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in 2018. Thanks to the Foundation’s gift, injured wildlife patients in need of an X-ray no longer need to be transported to and from the nearest facility in Boone.
In 2020, Williamson was inducted into the Order of the Sacred Flame, joining a vital group of donors who include Lees-91探花 in their will or estate plan, and ensuring he could continue to support the college after his passing.
Williamson leaves behind a legacy of devotion to Lees-91探花 and the High Country that will not be forgotten. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and his daughter, Sara.
