Sean Joseph Williamson was born on November 23, 1970, in Southwest Philadelphia. After graduating from West Catholic High School, Williamson joined the U.S. Marines. He returned to his native city after his service and took a job in construction.

Missing the camaraderie of the military, Williamson joined the Philadelphia Fire Department in 1994. He spent nearly three decades with the Philadelphia Fire Department, serving with the department’s specialized units before his last assignments with Ladder 18 in Nicetown-Tioga. Within the department, he was seen as a mentor and guide to many people. He led by example every day and was loved by all.

Sean had many different hobbies that included starting his own boating company, farming snails, and skiing, but one of his favorite hobbies was cooking. Growing up in a big Italian family, Sean was immersed from a young age in food and, more specifically, how to make a variety of meals. Sean saw food and cooking as a way to bring people together. For him, cooking was an art. Like music, he saw cooking as an elaborate way to express himself. He also instilled this in his kids. He believed that cooking with his kids was not just about ingredients and recipes, but about harnessing imagination, empowerment, and creativity. He taught his children how to cook with soul, as if it were an ingredient. He showed his children how to cook with love, so much so that his youngest daughter believed the olive oil he used was actual, physical love he would put into his food.

Sean had a deep love for the outdoors. He always thought that a bad day camping was still better than a good day at work. He spent much of his time teaching his children different aspects of nature and being outside. He would take his family and friends on hikes and would stop and take the time to teach about different rock formations or what poison Ivy looks like. He took his family on road trips all over the country. He inspired traveling and exploration in everyone he met, even if traveling meant going to your local park.

Even though he was a fireman by title, Sean Williamson was a teacher at heart. He spent all his time learning something new and then teaching those skills to someone else. He would go to huge lengths to help and teach new things to anyone. Sean even once set up a ropes course for a fellow fireman in his own home when they were training to become part of a specialized unit in the fire department.