Wylie Pierson Johnson
November 2, 2013
Born March 28, 1919 at Carol Villa, Montgomery,
Alabama, passed away peacefully surrounded by family at his home in Vestavia,
Alabama, on November 2, 2013.
Mr.
Johnson was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and graduated from Sidney Lanier High
School.
Mr. Johnson attended Alabama
Polytechnic Institute (Auburn) and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in
Mechanical Engineering in 1942.
While at
Alabama Polytechnic University, Mr. Johnson was a member of the Lambda Chi
Alpha fraternity. He was a Lieutenant in the United States Navy serving during
World War II and attended Cornell University during his service.
He
also attended Georgia Tech while he was working for the Alabama Power
Company.
He retired in 1976 after 38
years with Alabama Power Company.
In
2006 he was commissioned Honorary Commodore in the Alabama State
Navy.
He was married to the love of his life, Eula
Lurene “Dolly” Hall Johnson for 50 years.
They raised three children, Barbara Lurene,
Melanie Fay, and Wylie Benjamin.
Mr. Johnson was very active in professional and
civic activities and contributed articles to professional journals.
His activities included having been President
of the Vestavia Exchange Club; President of the Richard Montgomery Chapter and the
Alabama State Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution; a Mason and member
of Zamora Shrine Temple; member of the Young Men’s Business Club of Birmingham;
member of the Birmingham Engineer’s Club; member of the Tuskegee Rotary Club
(Paul Harris Fellow); and member of the First Baptist Church of Montgomery.
He established the Seth Johnson Endowment for
the Economics Department of Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) and received
the AUM School of Business 1998-1999 Outstanding Business Leadership
Award.
He was an avid Auburn fan and recently enjoyed watching
Auburn beat Texas A&M.
Most important, however, was his love of
family.
Mr. Johnson organized and
attended family reunions throughout the country, spent years compiling
genealogical information, and wrote three books on genealogy,
Solomon Johnson: 1601-1690 His Descendants
& Some Allied Families,
Neva Kate
Carmichael Johnson: 1880-1952 Her Family and Ancestry, and
Eula Lurene Hall Johnson: 1922-1997 Her
Family and Ancestry. Many of his
children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren have tales of cross-country
trips with “Paw” searching through libraries and graveyards and listening to distant
relatives tell jocose anecdotes and family tales.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Eula Lurene
Hall Johnson.
He is survived by his
children, Barbara Lurene Hill (James), children Melanie Anne Ryan (Tim), John
Derek Hill, James Daniel Hill (Amandiy), and Jeffrey Adam Hill (Ashley);
Melanie Fay Johnson, children Kellet Carmichel May (Joshua), Edward Seth
Atkinson (Connie), and Wylie Scott Atkinson (Gia); and Wylie Benjamin Johnson
(Jessica), children Benjamin Seth Johnson (Rebecca), Erin Carmichael Millson
(Jared), Caroline Haddox Johnson, and Spencer Henry Johnson; his great grandchildren,
Timothy Graham Ryan (Christina), Rebecca Anne Ryan, Sarah Elizabeth Hill, John
Taylor Hill, Elizabeth Margaret Hill, Jeffrey Adam Hill, Jr., Sally Lurene
Hill, Kaylin Ashley Hill, Chloe Elizabeth Zeepuga Hill, Eythan Tialen Hill,
Pierson Reece Atkinson, Kimberlea Fay Atkinson, Lillian Carmichael May, Lucia
Carmichael May, Hazel Jo Millson.
Visitation will be held at Leak Memory Chapel in
Montgomery, Alabama, on Tuesday, November 5, 2013, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
with services at 11:00.
His seven
grandsons will serve as pallbearers: John Derek Hill, Edward Seth Atkinson,
James Daniel Hill, Jeffrey Adam Hill, Wylie Scott Atkinson, Benjamin Seth
Johnson, and Spencer Henry Johnson.
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