Sam Williams, the son of Hank Williams Jr, is mourning the loss of his mother, Mary Jane Thomas.
The “Glasshouse Children” singer and Mercury Nashville recording artist remembered his late mother, who was married to his father, Hank Jr, for 31 years, as a gentle and giving spirit who had a presence that lit up every room she entered.
“My dear Mama Mary Jane was a beautiful soul who forever affected everyone who knew her,” Sam shared per PEOPLE. “She had a smile and presence that lit up every room and she never met a stranger she didn’t befriend. Her spirit was gentle and giving. She could take down a ten-point buck and fix dinner for her grandchildren at the same time! Now she gets to radiate from above with my sister Katherine Diana right by her side.”
He continued, “She grew up competing in baton and cheerleading and was one of Hawaiian Tropic’s top models. My father fell in love with the Daytona Beach beauty the minute he set eyes on her in the early ’80s. They went on to live the most powerful love story of travel and hunting and raising a family.”
Sam shared that Thomas is “survived by my father, her two parents Ramona and Bill, her brother Andy, her sister Angela, myself and her three grandchildren: Beau Weston, Tennyson Hiram and Audrey Jane.”
“Rest in peace Mama, I will always be the son of Mary Jane,” he concluded.
Mary Jane Thomas died unexpectedly on Tuesday, March 22, in Jupiter, Florida, at the age of 61, according to TMZ. The outlet reported that a member of the country music icon’s family shared the news.
While her official cause of death remains unknown and does not appear to be suspicious, it has been reported that she presumably “suffered a complication, possibly a blood clot, following a medical procedure.”
TMZ also reported that the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa called the local police department around 5PM EST on Tuesday afternoon, where Mary Jane was transported to a local hospital and was later pronounced dead.
Mary Jane, who was once a suntan lotion model for Hawaiian Tropic, and Hank Jr. wed in 1990 and celebrated 31 years of marriage last summer. She is Hank Jr’s third wife.
The couple have two children together, a son, Sam Williams, who released his debut album, Glasshouse Children, in August 2021, and late daughter Katie Williams, who tragically died in a car wreck in 2020.
They also have three grandchildren, two from their late daughter, Katie (Beau Weston Dunnings and Audrey Jane Dunnings), as well as one from their son, Sam (Tennyson Williams).
Hank Jr. and Mary Jane mostly kept their relationship out of the spotlight, however, she was on hand to celebrate his recent induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in November of 2021.
A member of the Williams’ family told TMZ that they wished for their privacy to be respected at this time.
