Florence Lawrence Williamson died Sunday, June 12, 2016. Foncie, as she was affectionately called, was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, on June 2, 1935, to Roland B. and Irma L. Lawrence. An only child, she graduated from Wilson High School in Portsmouth, Virginia, and from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She taught physical education for several years. Foncie loved life, traveling, the outdoors, and photography, taken by herself or others, which was not so much a hobby as it was a way of seeing God through the beauty of nature. No matter how bad the news around the world seemed every day, she remained steadfast in her faith and refused to give up. Foncie did not have an opinion about everything in the universe the way so many people do, a more accepting person you would never meet. She would not give in to temptation (except for sweets!) and would actually inconvenience herself in order to be pleasing to God. She would get out of a warm bed on a below-freezing winter Sunday morning as when she was sick and in poor health and get dressed and go to church, such was her faith. She would forsake a lot of good things in life that were easily within her reach and stagger under the weight of her own cross and follow Jesus. She met and married Bruce B. Williamson, Jr. on August 11, 1962 , and they had one son, Bruce B. Williamson III on November 3, 1965. Bruce, Sr. preceded Foncie in death on February 11, 1993. She is survived by her son, Bruce, and cousins William G. Leary, Jr., William G. Leary, III, and Karen L. Rinehart.

Foncie was a long time member of The Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Raleigh, NC, where she was very active and a member of the Daughters of the King. A celebration of her life will be held Monday, June 20, 2016, at 2:00PM, at The Church of the Good Shepherd with a reception to follow in Shepherd’s Hall. Burial will be at Olive Branch Cemetery in Portsmouth, Virginia on Wednesday, 11:00am, June 22, 2016 .

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to The Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church 125 Hillsborough St - Raleigh, NC - 27603