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04/01/2013 11:00 AMRobert Byrne Williams, 63, of Branford, husband of Joanna (Janny) Lehman, died at home on March 28, surrounded by friends and family, after a long battle with lung cancer. Bob was born in Bridgeport on Nov. 25, 1949, son of the late Charles and Bernice Williams. After attending the University of Delaware, Bob entered the book publishing business, becoming vice-president and publisher of Cornerstone Library in New York City. In 1980, he and his business partner and friend Barry Levine began a bakery distribution business, and in 1985 they co-founded Willoughby’s Coffee & Tea, a specialty coffee roasting company in New Haven. Bob and Barry expanded Willoughby’s into a multi-store business that has become well known nationally. An avid sailor, Bob cruised the Thimble Islands, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Cuba with his sailing companions. He was also an accomplished cook and loved to play the guitar.
The Williams family is grateful to the doctors, nurses, and staff at Smilow Cancer Center at Yale-New Haven Hospital and to Connecticut Hospice Home Care for their consistent expertise, support, and caring.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his son Dylan of Providence, Rhode Island, his brothers Jeffrey of Long Island and Charles (Skip) of Florida, and his sister Karen of Long Island. He is also survived by two sisters-in-law, a brother-in-law and their spouses, several nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, and cousins, as well as many friends he considered his family.
A memorial service will be held for family and friends on the Stony Creek, Branford beach at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 6. Everyone is invited to a gathering following the ceremony at the Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library at 146 Thimble Islands Road, Stony Creek, from 2 to 5 p.m. In lieu of flowers, friends may give donations to the charity of their choice.