LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Saturday, many of the LEX 18 News family woke up to the news about the loss of our beloved co-worker, Billy Williamson. He died Friday night in a car crash. He was 54 years old. He's worked at LEX 18 for 21 years alongside long-time anchors like Nancy Cox, who can remember getting to know him.
Cox says, "We're all gonna miss Billy so much we were a second family to him, and he was sort of a little brother to all of us even though he's now in his 50s. But I can’t imagine the pain that his biological family is going through and those closest to him. It's just not right."
Williamson was most recently a graphic designer at the news station. His work can be seen throughout LEX 18’s shows. When he wasn’t working, he loved his sports, being outdoors, chili nights with co-workers, and just enjoying all that life had to offer.
Cox shares, "He was a little shy at first and I didn’t know 'Okay does this guy like me? Does he not like me?' but that was Billy, he sort of sizes up people and then lets that personality show, he was so great to work with. I would take a project to him and I didn’t know what I wanted graphically and I would try to explain, 'Can we do something neat with this?' He'd huff and puff at first, but then within the hour, he was like, 'Hey, what if we do this?' And he was sending me examples and he got so into it and he really was an excellent professional."
Williamson’s personality was big and brightened everyone's day. Working with someone who is passionate about what they do, someone who cares about the people he works with is irreplaceable.
"That’s just priceless,” says Cox. “Our jobs are stressful, a lot of people work in stressful environments, and our takes so much teamwork. The people you see on camera at the end of the day are just a small portion of what made our product come together. Billy was a big part of that and we needed him and he needed us, we all worked together and when a member of that team can make you smile through the stress and the hard work and the long hours, election coverage and all that crazy stuff, it changes everything, it makes what you’re doing even more worth it."
LEX 18 viewers didn’t get the chance to get to know the man that Williamson was working behind the scenes. He was the type of man who would get to know you and embrace you like family, a man who had a deep love for his own family and community.
"Everything we do, every job that it takes to make the news happen, has to be creative. It's all meant to tell a story to you, to convey exactly what you need to know in a way that connects with you. And graphics are certainly a part of that. Everything that Billy did was a part of that — he knew that and he wanted to make that experience for the viewer the best it could be,” says Cox. “He was proud of what he did, and it took a lot of hard work for our product to come together, and Billy was a big part of that."
