Courtesy of wvtf.org

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Clarification (Oct. 7, 2011: 5:19 p.m.): Seth Williamson most recently lived in Blacksburg. He once lived in Franklin County. The original version of this story was unclear on that point. | Our corrections policy

Seth Williamson, longtime producer of "Morning Classics" on public radio station WVTF (89.1 FM) in Roanoke, died Thursday.

WVTF announced the news at 11 a.m. Friday morning.

"We are deeply saddened to report that our dear friend Seth has left us," said Glenn Gleixner, WVTF general manager. He added that Williamson died unexpectedly following an operation.

On air, Steve Brown, classical music announcer, said he visited Williamson at the hospital recently and he was "in good spirits" but also "in pain." He added that "one of the last things I gave Seth was a note from a listener saying how much she appreciated him."

According to WVTF’s website, www.wvtf.org, Williamson is the station’s longest-serving full-time employee. His classical music program went on the air on Oct. 8, 1983 and had been a part-time community producer for nearly two years before that.

Willamson was born and raised in Texas, but moved to Virginia as a teenager. In addition to sharing music with listeners, Williamson was an amateur musician himself, playing trumpet and euphonium in a brass chamber music group, area symphonic bands and the Sauerkraut Band. He was also a lover of bluegrass. He lived in Blacksburg.

Williamson’s passion for music and nature also spilled into print. He was a prolific freelance writer for The Roanoke Times, for which he wrote a monthly birding column and regularly reviewed Roanoke Symphony Orchestra concerts and Opera Roanoke productions.

On the station’s website, Williamson said his favorite time and place is "a blue late-summer or early autumn day at Rocky Knob as the broadwinged hawks wheel overhead on their way south."

Details about services will be forthcoming.