ROBERT L. WILLIAMSON

Robert L. Williamson I was born in Sistersville, WV on January 21, 1927.

I had two brothers and 3 sisters. My father died when I was very young leaving my mother to raise 6 children. Three years later she married a man with 7 children of his own. When the war came along, two of his boys and my two brothers went into the army. My mother saw to it that we received our religious upbringing early. She was a Sunday School teacher and we attended Sunday School and church and she made sure that we all graduated.

After I graduated from Tyler County High in 1945, I joined the Army and served on Wake Island, Corregidor and Manila in the Phillipines for two years. Returning home from the service there was no employment to be found in WV, my brother, living in Ravenna, and attending Kent State encouraged me to come to Ohio to find a job. This I did, and in 1947 I met Dorothy at the Armory Skating Rink in Ravenna and we married in March 1949.

After graduating from National Radio & Electronics, I operated my own store, Bob’s Radio and TV for 10 years, 2 years in Ravenna and 8 years from the back of our garage at our home. I also attended Akron University and Kent State. Took some Dale Carnegie courses and got a Real Estate License and worked as a salesman for Sitko Realty, B. Jennings Realty, June Harvey Realty, Combs & Company Realty and GoldFire Realty. During this same time, I was employed by Lamson & Sessions in Kent for 19 years, then I went to Zagar, Inc., in Cleveland for 16 years working as a Marketing Manager. I also served as the Zoning Inspector for the Village of Garrettsville.

We have one daughter, Dianne Bradfield (Ben Ciancio), who lives in Ravenna and recently retired from Kent State University. I am a past member of the Garrettsville Chamber of Commerce, the Hiram-Garrettsville Rotary Club, Garrettsville Jaycees and was president of the Squarenaders in 1962-63. A member of the Elks in Ravenna, VFW, Masonic Lodge #246 Garrettsville, Society of Manufacturing Engineers in Cleveland, Akron Board of Realtors, the United Methodist Church, and the Parade Master in Garrettsville for 10 years. My mother died of cancer in 1976 and was a great inspiration in my life.

My beloved wife Dorothy, my brothers, Bill and Ralph, my sisters JoAnn Tarman, Evelyn Andrews and Patty Hoffstetter and son-in-law Gary Bradfield all proceeded me in death. I loved being an usher at church where I got to meet, greet and serve the people, also teaching young boys to become Acolytes and get involved in the church. I always enjoyed loving, sharing, caring and helping other people, which was always a goal I had set for myself in my life. After my retirement I enjoyed delivering my homemade peanut butter cookies, homemade fudge, German chocolate cake, and banana nut bread to family and friends.

Please join my beloved daughter Dianne at Calling hours from 4-8 PM on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at Mallory-DeHaven-Carlson Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 8382 Center St., Garrettsville, OH 44231, with a Masonic Service at 5:30PM. Funeral services will be at 11 AM on Wednesday with visitation 1 hour prior 10-11AM at the Garrettsville United Methodist Church, with Rev. Kris Patt, Rev. Fred Bell and Rev. John Wolfe officiating. Burial will follow at Park Cemetery, Garrettsville with Military Honors. Family suggests contributions may be made to the Garrettsville UMC, 8223 Park Ave., Garrettsville, Ohio 44231.