Rev. William "Bill" Williamson

Rev. William “Bill” Williamson, 93, of Roswell, GA died peacefully at his home on Sunday, July 13, 2025.

A Funeral Service will be held at 3:00 PM (EST) on Sunday, July 20, 2025 at Crawford Baptist Church, Crawford, AL with Rev. Steve Williamson officiating according to Vance Brooks Funeral Home, Phenix City, AL. Pallbearers will be his grandchildren. A private interment will follow in Crawford Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 2:00 PM until the funeral hour at the church on Sunday. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the charity of your choice in honor of Reverend Bill Williamson.

William (Bill) Roach Williamson was born in Mobile, Alabama on March 24, 1932 to JohnW. Williamson and Vivian R. Williamson. Bill was their 2nd child. His older brother, John Edward, was born in 1930, and his sister Carolyn would be born in 1933. Bill's father was an electrician who worked for the City of Mobile for most of his career except for a stint at the Brookley Air Field during World War II. His mother was a homemaker during his childhood, but in her later years would work as a retail clerk at Hammels Department store in downtown Mobile. Bill's parents would reside in Mobile for the remainder of their lives.

Bill spent his childhood years growing up in Mobile. During WW2 he collected metal from his neighborhood to contribute to the war effort, and delivered newpapers to servicemen stationed at Brookley. He would also work as a delivery boy at a local drug store. He was an active member of the Boy Scouts of America, and in 1950 attended the Boy Scout National Jamboree at Valley Forge where he shook the hand of Dwight Eisenhower. Bill's family were active members of the First Baptist Church of Mobile. In high school, he would work during the summer as a lifeguard and counselor at the Baldwin Baptist Association camp. It was while working at this camp that he felt the call to enter the ministry.

After graduation in 1950 from Murphy High School, Bill attended Howard College (now Samford University) in Birmingham, Alabama where he obtained a degree in Religious Education. While at Howard, he ran track for the varsity team. The graduate assistant for the team was Bobby Bowden (yes, that Bobby Bowden). It was during this time that Bill would meet, and fall in love with, Annie Merle Henderson from Eutaw, Alabama who was also a student at Howard. They would marry on June 3, 1954 after both had graduated from Howard. After marriage, they moved into a small apartment in Fort Worth, Texas where Bill would be attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to obtain a Masters degree in Religious Education.

On October 31, 1955, Bill and Merle's first child, William Gary Williamson, was born. Gary was followed by the birth of Bonnie Kay Williamson on November 26, 1956. Having completed his Masters degree, Bill moved his family to Mountain Brook, Alabama in 1957 where he would serve as Minister of Education at the Mountain Brook Baptist Church. On January 17, 1958, Robert Steve Williamson was born, followed by the birth of John Philip Williamson on March 7, 1959. Their youngest child, Jeffrey Lynn Williamson, was born on October 8, 1961. The following year, Bill and family moved to Milledgville, GA where Bill had taken positions as Minister of Education at the First Baptist Church, and as a minister at the Baptist Student Union (BSU) at Georgia College.

In the early years at Milledgeville, the family resided in a couple of rental homes just outside of town before moving into a large house across from the college provided for the use of the BSU minister. Proximity to the college and connections with the BSU meant that baby sitters were plentiful! It was during the Milledgeville years that Bill would instill into his children his love of God; his love of sports; his love of learning; his love of humor; and his love of forts(!). All of his children would learn his Sam Spade routine; the puns; the tongue twisters; the nonsense poems ("One morning in the middle of the night..."); and to recite "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" backwards. The children would play in the backyard fort he constructed from a discarded coffin container. He would teach his children to swim; to play ball; to ride bicycles (and homemade skateboards). The house was full of books and the library was a short walk away. Many Thanksgivings were spent in at the Georgia Baptist Assembly at Toccoa, Georgia where he would minister to international students. [One year, a student tried to convince Bill for an arranged marriage to teenage Bonnie.] Summer vacations were a week at Ridgecrest Baptist Assembly in North Carolina, and always a week at Vacation Bible School. Also in Summer, there were visits to Mobile or Eutaw, camping along the way, and touring any nearby fort. For entertainment, he would take the family to the local drive-in to watch the latest James Bond or war movie, or to Atlanta to watch the Atlanta Braves at a Knothole game with church youth.

In 1972, Bill and family moved to Cedartown, Georgia where Bill would be the full-time Minister of Education at the First Baptist Church of Cedartown. In Cedartown, the family would live in the first house that Bill would purchase, and the first house to have air conditioning. All of Bill's children would graduate from Cedartown High School and attend college.

In 1979, after all his children had graduated from CHS, Bill and Merle moved to Waycross, Georgia where Bill would be the full-time Minister of Education at the First Baptist Church of Waycross. For a few years, Bill and Merle would live in a small house near town before moving into the former pastorium of the church closer to town. The pastorium was a large house with plenty of room for children (and grandchildren) to visit. And a large yard for Lady, their dog, to roam.

As his children graduated from college, Bill's family begin to expand. Bonnie Williamson married Michael Edwards of Cedartown. Steve would marry Pam Summerville of Buchanan, GA. Phil would marry Karen Winkles of Cedartown. Gary married Penny Bair of Merritt Island, FL. And finally, Jeff would marry Ann May of Brunswick, GA. Over time, these marriages resulted in 13 grandchildren who would call him Pawpaw.

Most of the memories of Pawpaw are from the visits that his grandchildren made to the green house in Waycross. Of special memory were the times when all the grandchildren would visit at the same time. There would be races on the Big Wheels down the driveway and back. Pawpaw would take the grandchildren on 'bear hunts'. There would be games in the Outback. He would entertain them with the same jokes and pranks he told his children. At Christmas, Pawpaw would help the grandchildren light the Christmas candles along the front walk. Many of these gatherings are memorialized in the infamous 'porch pictures'.

In 1997, Bill retired from FBC of Waycross, but did not retire from the ministry as he continued to perform weddings and funerals upon request. In retirement, he and Merle took road trips with the Jolly Friends from the church; he took up golf where he would play weekly rounds with some longtime friends; and he was able to spend more time caring for the plants and flowers in his large yard. He also had more time to watch the Atlanta Braves on TV. As Merle's health begin to decline, Bill became her full time caregiver until her passing in February of 2021.

After Merle's passing, Bill sold the house in Waycross and moved to Atlanta to live with Phil and Karen. While living with Phil, he made many trips to visit his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. In 2022, the entire family gathered at Pine Mountain to celebrate his 90th birthday. By this time, Bill was now Pawpaw to 19 great-grandchildren (eventually, 21!).

On the morning of July 13, 2025, at the age of 93, the Lord called his most faithful servant home to join his beloved Merle. There are tears, but there is also joy in the remembrance and celebration of his life, and the knowledge that though he is no longer with us, he is with his Father in Heaven. He will be missed by all who knew him, but mostly fondly remembered by the 3 generations who called him Dad, Pawpaw or Uncle.

Other than his parents, Mr. Williamson is preceded in death by his loving wife of 66 years, Merle Henderson Williamson; a brother, John Ed Williamson; a sister, Carolyn Williamson Farnell, and a grandson, Joshua Ryan Williamson. Mr. Williamson is survived by sons, Gary Williamson and his wife Penny, Steve Williamson and his wife Pam, Phil Williamson and his wife Karen, and Jeff Williamson and his wife Ann; daughter, Bonnie Edwards and her husband Mike; 13 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; multiple nieces and nephews.