Neil Mason Williams

Neil Mason Williams, DVM, PhD 1/12/1955 - 1/4/2026 Neil was born in Laurel, Mississippi, to Atley and Ruth Williams. He grew up there with his younger sister, Carol Crawford, and remained very close with her throughout his life. Neil graduated from Mississippi State University, and was admitted into MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine in the second class in the history of the college. He graduated at the top of his class in 1982, and practiced small animal veterinary medicine for several years in Texas and Kentucky, before going back to school at the University of Kentucky where he earned his PhD in veterinary pathology in 1992. He was a world-renowned veterinary pathologist, but more important to him than career accolades and accomplishments was his family. Neil poured himself into the lives of his two children, Lindsay and Mason. Whatever sports, activities, or academic pursuits they were engaged in, he took an interest in and supported. He was a very proud father. Neil was an accomplished DIY-er, and loved working on various projects throughout the several houses the family lived in, building things from wine cellars to horse sheds and everything in between. Neil will be remembered for his intelligence, goofy sense of humor, work ethic, ability to fix most anything, ability to cook most anything, love for animals of all kinds, and his love of Jesus. He was also very fond of his grandchildren, to whom he was affectionately known as “PeePaw”. Neil is survived by his daughter, Dr. Lindsay Williams Buono, and her husband, Brandon, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and their children Avereigh, Riley, and Cooper; his son, Mason Dudley Williams, of Richmond, Virginia; and his sister, Carol Williams Crawford, and her husband, Byron, of Shreveport, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas. Neil was preceded in death by his father and mother, Atley and Ruth Williams. He passed peacefully at his home in Shreveport, Louisiana, on the morning of January 4th, 2026, after a prolonged and hard-fought battle against a rare, acquired genetic disease. He was especially grateful for the compassionate and attentive care he received from Dr. Kirtan Koticha, Dr. Kurt Kampert, and Raine Carter, NP, as well as the rest of the medical team in Shreveport. He and his family are also thankful for Mr. Jamaal Stevens and the staff at Companion Care. A graveside service will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, January 10th, 2026, at Lake Park Hills Cemetery, 2806 Emmy Drive, Laurel, Mississippi, 39440. Jim Cox and Dr. Richard Rieske will be speaking at the service. Pallbearers are Mason Williams, Brandon Buono, Scott Crawford, Andrew Crawford, Jim Cox, and Richard Rieske. Honorary pallbearers are Larry Sanders, Tom Hammond, Byron Crawford, Ron Crawford, Gayle Pope, Zack Moore, Jack Murfee, and Tim Mansour. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Neil’s memory to The VEXAS Foundation, which can be found at vexas.org. To view and sign the online guestbook, please visit www.memorychapellaurel.com

Neil Mason Williams

January 12, 1955 - January 4, 2026