Services Saturday for Uptown restauranteur Bob Williamson

Funeral services and a Celebration of Life will take place Saturday, Feb. 3, for Bob Williamson, former owner of Cardinal Pizza at 10 E. Main St. in Westerville.

Williamson died Monday, Jan. 29, following a nearly two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 41.

Visitation at Genoa Baptist Church, 7562 Lewis Center Road, Westerville 43082, will take place from 3-4 p.m. Sunday, followed by a funeral service at 4 p.m. Arrangements are being handled by the Shaw-Davis Funeral Home.

According to a GoFundMe page set up by Williamson’s siblings Jenny and Nick, to benefit Williamson’s widow and stepson, a Celebration of Life event will follow the funeral services. It will take place at the Cooper Lodge Hall, 6800 Schrock Hill Court, Columbus 43229.

Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2022, “He breezed through major surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation like a champ – all while running Cardinal Pizza and continuing his work making Westerville the No. 1 suburb in Columbus,” his siblings wrote.

Williamson founded the Cardinal Pizza shop in Westerville in 2019. Born in Columbus, he grew up in Westerville and remained in the community his entire life.

“He poured his heart and soul into his successful Westerville business, Cardinal Pizza, while working tirelessly to help shape Uptown Westerville into a thriving community,” says his obituary on the Shaw-Davis website.

“His passion was food and that included everything from his amazing pizza to gourmet meals. Truly a master of his craft, Bobby could create a magnificent dining experience out of the most basic ingredients.”

Williamson was an active community supporter and cheerleader for the city’s historic Uptown District. He served on the Uptown Westerville Inc. Board of Directors and backed many UWI initiatives. Through Cardinal Pizza, he also contributed to Whittier Elementary School events, was a sponsor of the Rotary Club of Westerville’s Fourth of July celebration, and participated in fundraising for organizations including W.A.R.M. and Nationwide Slice of Columbus.

He is survived by his wife Melissa Williamson and stepson Dimetrius Saylor, mom Mary (Mike) Gray, sister Jenny (Roger) Mangham, niece Isabelle, nephews Cooper and Teddy Mangham, brother Nick (Mary Anne) Williamson, nieces Hayley and Amelia Williamson, nephew Noah Williamson and many other family and friends.

• Read Williamson’s obituary on the Shaw-Davis site here.
• See coverage by WCMH-NBC4 here (story) and here (video).
• Visit the GoFundMe page set up by his siblings here.