Rickey "Sonny" Leon Williamson, 64, a resident of Rutledge, Alabama, passed away peacefully on Friday, September 11th, 2026, while surrounded by his family. A celebration of Sonny's life, a Sonny Day, will be held at a later time.

Sonny was the character of characters. Everyone and the preacher had a story about him and his antics. If nothing else, you were certain to be constantly entertained, and possibly exasperated, by his endless exploits. He was particular in the extreme and there was certainly no arguing with that rock hard head of his. If he was determined to do it, there was nothing on this earth that was going to stop him, and he was likely gonna need a little help if he got himself in a tad bit too much trouble. You couldn't stay mad at him though, as long as you hadn't married him I guess, because he had too good of a heart for that. Yeah, Sonny was quite the ladies' man and not even a hospital bed was gonna keep him from (unsuccessfully) flirting with a pretty nurse.

Sonny proudly served with the United States Army and Army National Guard until he retired after 23 years. He was also a sheet metal worker and supervisor over at Sikorsky for 33 years where he could easily build you a helicopter from the ground up. And, trust me, he knew how to do whatever it was...even if he didn't (remember that hard head of his?!). He spent most of his life in Rutledge where his neighbors would assure you he was the best neighborhood watchman they ever had because he was guaranteed to know everything that was going on and when something was off. He did enjoy traveling though, often going on cruises or traveling around the country to spots like Montana and Tombstone, Arizona. He never had any children of his own but, as the second youngest of 11 children, he was truly blessed with multiple generations of nieces and nephews to spoil. He was definitely a favorite uncle for all of them because he was devoted to all of them and they knew without a doubt they could always count on him. Sonny was loved beyond measure by both his beloved family and his community where he was a fixture. He's gone from them all too soon but, my God, has he left all of them with a treasure trove of stories that will keep them all laughing and reminiscing for many more years to come.

Sonny was preceded in death by his parents, Robert & Evelyn Williams Williamson, and siblings, James "PeeWee" Williamson, Barbara Paul, Linda King, Vivian "Punkin" Burgans, and two infant sisters. He is survived by his beloved siblings, Thelma Holmes, Jerry (Marie) Williamson, Theresa (Charles) Mount, and Shelia (Rusty) King; his best friend, Jimmy Ray Oliver; and a host of loving nieces and nephews, extended family members, and friends.