Birth date: Sep 9, 1952 Death date: Sep 30, 2025
Ponchatoula resident Richard Dean “Dick” Williamson passed peacefully into the loving arms of his Heavenly Father on September 30, 2025, following a prolonged illness. He was born September 9, 1952, in Farmington, New Mexico, the Read Obituary
Taken at a Christmas party, back in 2016. I don't have many photos of Toke and this is one of my fave memories of him.
Tokyo and I met in the early 1970’s and remained friends until his illness no longer allowed him to correspond. We had the same taste in music, science fiction, and archeology. When he found out I was reading King Conan, he came over the next day with a present, the first book he gave me, Conan The Conqueror. Tok would often come over with a handful of comic books for me to enjoy while we listened to music. Years later, through social media we were able to listen to music together once again, as every day we would send each other tunes to listen to and he would fill me in on the latest archaeological discovery. An unexpected delight, the last book he gave me, was a signed copy of his book Westward Strange: Tall Tales of Western Mystery. I will treasure it as I did our friendship.
I’ll never forget sitting on the steps of the Student Union with Toke at LSU in 1970 listening to Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, lying on the LSU Mounds looking at the stars, and listening to Jefferson Starship in someone’s car while watching the flares on Nicholson Road. Our relationship lasted until the 1990’s. We went to Mardi Gras together many times. He was the only person that I ever saw grab a street lamp and hold himself horizontally above the sidewalk.
