Mike Williamson: A busy life built on teamwork—at home, at work, and in the community

by Melissa McPherson

Around the world, Nov. 19 is recognized as International Men’s Day to “celebrate, worldwide, the positive value men bring to the world, their families, and communities.” Once again, in our November issue, Stockbridge Community News is featuring Men of the Hour—men from our own little corner of the world who make a notable difference in our community. Congratulations to Mike Williamson for being nominated; this is his story.

When asked to describe Mike Williamson in one word,  his friends would say, loyal. Whether he is with his family, at work, on the field, or in the community, Mike always gives one hundred percent to those around him and is always eager to lend a hand.

Mike was born in Flint, Michigan, but after his dad, Ernest Williamson, landed a job at Jiffy Mix in 1975, the Williamsons relocated to Dansville. In 1979, the family moved again to Stockbridge and settled there for good. Ernest and Mike’s mom, Gail, raised Mike and his brother Kevin by setting strong examples, especially on the importance of commitment. The elder Williamsons will be celebrating their 56^th wedding anniversary in early 2026.

Mike’s wife, Kim, shares a similar story. Her family also moved to Stockbridge after her dad was hired as a miller for Jiffy Mix. Mike knew Kim’s family for years because he coached her younger brother in football. But the two did not meet until Kim’s mother set them up on a date. Mike and Kim have now been married for 19 years and have two daughters together: AJ, who is 17, and Makayla, who is 14.

Like his father, Mike’s path led to a career at Jiffy Mix, where he began working 35 years ago. His job is a physical one; sometimes he lifts as much as 11,000 pounds over the course of an eight-hour shift on the food production line. He is the go-to person for fellow employees, and even managers, when they have questions or a problem that needs to be solved.

However, while he values his job at Jiffy Mix, it is not where his passion lies. Mike’s real passion is sports.

As a kid, he participated in baseball through the Stockbridge Recreation Program and was on the baseball team in high school. He also played football for Stockbridge and was a member of the school’s first-ever state playoff team in the fall of 1987. Mike’s good friend Russ Rowe remembers it fondly.

“It was quite a memory and quite an experience,” Rowe said. “Mike was always just a tremendous leader on the team.”

When asked about his favorite sport, Mike said, “While I love football, baseball has always been my favorite sport.”

He recalls his younger years playing neighborhood pickup games at the Smith ball diamonds or in the yard of the apartments across from the elementary school. But one of his biggest memories is the Tigers winning the World Series in 1984.

As an adult, Mike has pursued his passion for sports and continues to forge a legacy in the community through coaching. When asked, he mentioned he’s following in the footsteps of his former baseball coach and mentor Archie King.

Mike became involved in youth sports in the early 1990s when he was asked by Rowe to help him coach fourth and sixth grade football for the Panther TD Club.

“I was trying to go to college and coach at the same time. Sometimes my classes would go a little longer than planned, or I would have an exam, so I needed to have an assistant coach,” Rowe recalls. “I couldn’t think of anybody better, so I asked ‘Willie’ to help me out. He has such a strategic defensive and offensive mind that, after a while, I just kind of handed it off to him to be head coach.” Rowe says with a laugh.

 Shortly after he started helping with the TD Club, another friend, Tammy Love, reached out to Mike to coach JV softball for Stockbridge. He eventually moved to baseball and was the varsity baseball coach and JV football coach for the Panthers. After leaving coaching for a short time, he returned to coaching recreational sports when his daughters were young. He has continued coaching ever since.

Although he is not one to take compliments easily, he’s proud of the relationships he has built with the athletes.  “So many of my past athletes tell me I am their favorite coach and that I taught them a lot,” he shared Comments like these mean the world to him.

Mike is proud of the athletes as well. Last spring, Stockbridge Jr./Sr. High School received a letter from a softball umpire complimenting Stockbridge’s JV team and the school’s fans on their humility and politeness. This is more proof that Mike’s coaching is about more than just numbers on a scoreboard.

For the past 26 years, Mike has worked as a sportswriter for “The Sun Times News,” previously known as the “Stockbridge Crier” until it was bought by a new owner and began covering Washtenaw County. Mike currently covers local sports for both “The Sun Times” and “The Stockbridge Community News.” When asked how he manages to juggle writing for two papers, coaching, and working a full-time job, Mike says he has to do a lot of planning ahead. He also gets help covering sporting events from friends Dawn and Dennis McCann.

“Without them,” he says, “I would have to change my scheduling a lot.”

That’s one of the things Mike especially loves about the Stockbridge community—this ability to help one another and to work together.

“It’s easy to sit on the sidelines and watch and then complain when things are not going the way you want them to, but it’s so much better to step up and help make our town and the schools a little better,. Mike said. He expressed a similar sentiment at length in a Stockbridge group’s Facebook page where parents were posting their disappointment with this year’s Homecoming football game debacle. Although he wasn’t responsible for any of it, Mike injected a voice of reason and remembered to thank all those who helped address the problems that arose due to the game being delayed extensively.

Despite his busy schedule, Mike still finds time for his family. He and his wife Kim enjoy time together and one of their shared interests is working on jigsaw puzzles.  He attends plays in the area with his older daughter, AJ, and while he loves to attend Makayla’s softball games as a spectator, he is also excited for the opportunity to coach her in JV softball this coming spring.

If you ask Mike how he measures success for his own life. his answer is simple: “I wouldn’t change a thing.” For him, success isn’t about winning. It’s about the family he loves, the students he’s coached, and the community he’s helped strengthen, one season, and one story at a time.

All photos provided by Mike Williamson except where indicated.