Saturday, November 2, 2013

And sometimes we don't race.



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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