Robert I. Williamson

WILLIAMSON, ROBERT I. Aug 9, 1913 to Oct 12, 2010. Bob Williamson, loving husband and father of 3 sons, manager at Goodyear, resort owner, and WW II veteran, passed away of natural causes on at the age of 97 on Oct 12, with his wife and family at his side. He was born on August 9, 1913 to William Ross and Lillian (DeHaven) Williamson in Owensboro, Kentucky. He graduated from Green High School in Green, Ohio in 1931 and Business School in 1933. He worked in construction building dams for the WPA in the Great Depression. He married his sweetheart, Helen, a Registered Nurse, in 1941. In Jan, 1942, after the Pearl Harbor attack, he volunteered to enlist in the Navy Seabees. He served honorably for 4 years in the Pacific theater, providing engineering base support to the Marines and Army combat troops on the islands of Iwo Jima, Saipan, Tarawa and Okinawa. He was discharged from the Navy in 1946 with the rank of Petty Officer First Class. He started his career with Goodyear in Akron, Ohio in 1946 and retired as Powerhouse and Maintenance Manager in 1973,. While he was working for Goodyear he and his wife started, owned and operated two summer resort businesses, Birchwood Camp, in Ontario, Canada, a fishing resort on Lake Cecebe from 1947-1953; and Bob’s Lake, in Green, Ohio, a swimming, picnicking, fishing and camping resort, from 1953-1972. These resorts are still are in operation today under other owners. He and Helen retired in 1973, sold their business, and moved to Santa Cruz, CA where they lived for 18 years .In 1992, they moved to North Coast Village in Oceanside where they lived until recently.Bob loved golf (he had a 5 handicap when he was 75), fishing, camping with their RVs, and sailing. Bob is survived by his wife of 69 years, Helen Williamson (Mitchell), age 93, in Oceanside; son Robert Paul Williamson of Fallbrook, CA; son Charles Williamson of Sonoma, CA; son John Williamson of San Clemente, CA; seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Services are private. His epitath reads “Loving husband and family man; I have no regrets; I did everything in life I wanted to “ Lived and Loved life, would not change a thing.”

Arrangements under the direction of Eternal Hills Memorial Park, Mortuary and Crematory, Oceanside, California.