Pinterest photo for Headline Surfer / Mary Jane Thomas and Hank Williams Jr. in 2021 / Photo credit: Jason/Kempin/Getty
By SERA KING / Headline Surfer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of country music artist Hank Williams Jr., and a Daytona Beach native, has died in Jupiter, Florida.
Jupiter Police were called to the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa where Thomas apparently suffered a medical emergency on Tuesday, March 22. She was transported to a local hospital where she was later pronounced dead at the age of 58. The investigation into her death is ongoing, but foul play is not expected, police have said, adding it may have been the result of an ongoing medical issue.
Jupiter Police were called to the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa where Thomas apparently suffered a medical emergency on Tuesday, March 22. She was transported to a local hospital where she was later pronounced dead at the age of 58. The investigation into her death is ongoing, but foul play is not expected, police have said, adding it may have been the result of an ongoing medical issue.
Mary Jane Thomas, then a Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion model, met Williams in 1985 and they got were married five years later. Her son, Sam Williams, talked about the couple’s relationship in a statement to People Magazine.
“My father fell in love with the Daytona Beach beauty the minute he set eyes on her in the early '80s,” the son was quoted as saying, adding, “They went on to live the most powerful love story of travel and hunting and raising a family.”
Things were a little rocky between Thomas and Williams in 2007 when both announced they were divorcing, but they later reconciled. She stood next to Williams as he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in November 2021.
In his statement to People, Sam Williams talked about the energy she radiated and the joy she brought to the people around her.
“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,” The younger Williams said. “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."
Mary Jane Thomas is survived by Williams; her son Sam; her two parents, Ramona and Bill; her brother Andy; her sister Angela; and her three grandchildren: Beau Weston, Tennyson Hiram, and Audrey Jane.
Thomas' daughter, Katherine Diana, was killed in a car accident in 2020.
About the Byline Writer: Sera King is associate publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet in Lake Mary, FL serving greater Orlando, Sanford, and Daytona Beach via HeadlineSurfer.com since 2008. She's also a byline writer (business, community & sports features), a videographer, and a cartoonist for the media outlet. King received her bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the Metro Orlando Campus of Ana G. Mendez University in 2008. Headline Surfer is published by Henry Frederick, Central Florida's award-winning journalist.