LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — No words can describe the shock we felt when we learned the victim who died in a Lexington crash was one of our own.
Billy Williamson has spent decades in this building, making the stories we tell look better. And he spent just as much time making the people around him feel better.
On Monday, LEX 18 talked with some of the folks who knew him best.
Extremely talented, Billy has worked for LEX 18 since the early 90s. He most recently served as a graphic designer. Former LEX 18 sports anchor Ryan Lemond reflects on Billy's approach to his work.
"Any kind of full-page graphic, full-screen graphic we'd give him, we'd turn it in, he'd say, 'man I can't do that, I can maybe do it tomorrow, I can't do it today,' he would get it done by the six o'clock news and it would be fantastic."
Doing an exceptional job is one thing; how Billy treated everyone along the way is another.
Former LEX 18 sports anchor Mary Jo Perino knew Billy for 22 years and worked with him, saying he had the exceptional ability to brighten someone's day with the willingness to do anything for anybody.
"He helped me move into every single place I've lived, move out of apartments, move into apartments, out of a house, into a house, and that's just what he did. He just helped everybody," said Perino.
The consensus is that Billy could have a conversation with anybody about anything. Sports, for one.
"He had like the rumble-stumble walk and he'd come walking up to you, like 'hey, did you watch the Reds this weekend? They sucked,'" said Lemond.
"I think he'd be blown away by how many people truly loved him, are truly gonna miss him and how talented he was," said Perino. "We all should've been better about telling Billy about how awesome he was. I hope he knew."
