Roslyn Williamson

Roslyn was born to Rufus and Georgia Wright in Orlando, Florida, on July 5, 1949. She was the third-born child of that union. The father was honorably discharged from the Army and operated small businesses.  Her mother was a housewife who cared for the family. As he sought to set roots towards the west coast, the family settled in Denver, Co., in 1958.

Her primary education was at Ebert Elementary on the edge of the greater Five Points area. Roslyn initially attended Cole Junior High but transferred to Morey Junior High, where she graduated in 1964. She went on to Denver East High School, which was the top high school in the state and was nationally recognized as a top school.

The family was shaken by the untimely passing of her father in 1965, and her extra-curricular school activities and teen social life took a hit as she was forced to work after-school and on the weekend to help assist her mother in providing for the family. After graduating from Denver East High in 1967, she enrolled in a secretarial school. Employment at the National Jewish Hospital soon followed.

Roslyn Wright met her future husband, Calvin Williamson, at Dahlia Lanes in Park Hill, blocks from her family home. This was a successful decision at the age of 21 as she bought a house with her husband in northeast Denver. With this union, they had two children. The first child, Calvin S. Williamson, was born in 1970, second child Angela N. Williamson came into the world in 1972. She was a housewife and a stay-at-home mother.

In 1973, she was employed at the Denver Geological offices of Texaco, where she would serve 20 years despite their documented racial and gender discrimination against her and others. She was later part of a successful class action lawsuit against her former employer for discrimination against its 1,500 then-current and former Black or women employees.

In 1986, Roslyn spiritually re-committed to Christ as a born-again Christian. Although Roslyn led a private, quiet life, she was known for her gift of gab communicating with people she did not know. Utilizing that gift, she speaks life into these individuals with her faith in God. Some would also seek her for spiritual advice, such as close family members and friends. She enjoyed dining, especially solo, at certain restaurants and would engage with staff and fellow diners to add a smile and a positive outlook to those who wanted to receive it.

In 2008, she pursued her bachelor's degree in special education at the University of Northern Colorado, where she graduated in 2012. During her schooling, Roslyn was a paraprofessional aide to teachers at Polaris Elementary, a magnet school ironically housed in the same school she attended as a child, formerly known as Ebert Elementary. Roslyn was previously enrolled at the former Colorado Women's College in the 1980s.

For five years, she was employed as a Community Habilitation worker through her granddaughter’s fiscal intermediary, Resources Center for Independent Living (RCIL), in New York City. She provided community integration, entrepreneurship, and life skills for her granddaughter, who is on an autism spectrum disorder. Roslyn enjoyed using her knowledge and educational background to help her granddaughter thrive.

Roslyn enjoyed taking domestic and international vacation trips with her family to Egypt, the South of France, Monte Carlo, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and around the United States of America. She also enjoyed going to Broadway plays in New York City and shopping.  She valued her quiet time at home and listening to various genres of music.

When she started to fail in health, she remained optimistic and aggressively fought through her ailments and won many battles and health challenges. She was able to continue to have independence as a semi-retired woman and still had free rein in her life after working hard for years at various jobs and on numerous projects. During the last couple weeks of her life in the hospital, she had moved some staff to tears as she inspired them with her quiet dignity facing a grim outcome. Her focus throughout her hospital stay was on God.

Roslyn is survived by her son, Calvin S. Williamson of Denver, Colorado, and New York City, her daughter Angela N. Williamson of New York, New York, and granddaughter Shakura K. Smalls of New York, New York. She is also survived by her siblings Dr. Shirley Leali of Denver, Colorado, Rufus James Wright of Denver, Colorado, Barbara French ( Ken) of San Francisco, California, Moca Fuller of Denver, Colorado, and Dr. Edward Wright (Darryl Ann) of Conroe, Texas, and a host of nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

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