Rev. William "Bill" Lennis Johnson, of Chillicothe Ohio, departed this life to begin life in Heaven with His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on April 8, 2020.
Rev. Johnson was born November 27, 1931 on Bull River, Calhoun County, WV. He attended Bull River Elementary School, and graduated from Calhoun County High School in 1950, and then attended Glenville State College, Glenville, WV on a football scholarship.
He was married December 23, 1950 to Mary Francis Smith Johnson, Rev. Johnson served in the United States Air Force (USAF) from March 1952 to June 1972, including overseas assignments in Morocco (2 years) and Vietnam (1 year). Stateside assignments were in Kansas, New Hampshire, Texas and Oklahoma.
He retired from Vance AFB, Enid, OK as a Senior Master Sergeant, Superintendent of Aerospace Medicine. After Rev. Johnson's career in the USAF, he served as Hospital Administrator for Calhoun General Hospital, Grantsville, WV from 1973 to 1980, and then was ordained into the gospel ministry in 1981. He served as pastor of 4 churches over the next 25 years, two in West Virginia and two in Ohio. He retired from full-time gospel ministry in December 2005, due to declining health, but always kept serving his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was a member of Chillicothe Baptist Church, Chillicothe Ohio.
Rev. Johnson was preceded in death by his parents, William Ray Johnson and Venia Vannoy Johnson Bickerstaff; infant brother Clarence Ray; brothers Franklin D. and Otis Clyde; sister Emma Irene Price; infant daughter; and his first wife, Mary.
Rev. and Mrs. Johnson had 3 sons, William Craig, Thomas A. (Vera) of Bluefield, WV; and Richard L. of Buckhannon, WV; and daughter Alexandria "Sherri Lynn" Johnson of Apex, NC; seven grandsons, Chad (Melanie) of Princeton WV, Scott (Tiffany) of Vienna WV, Joshua
(Mandi) of Grantsville WV, William Caleb of Lincoln, NE, Richard Bradley (Melissa) of Fairmont WV, Robert Bryan and Wesley Barrett (Kristen) of Buckhannon WV; three granddaughters, Wendy (Michael) Acord of Lester WV, Grace (Ethen) Shull of Rapid City SD, and Jolie Henriquez of Apex NC; and fifteen great grandchildren; step-son Michael A. (Corina) Cline; two step grandsons, Shawn and Jacob; two step-granddaughters, Lilian (Charlie) Cotton and Elisabeth; and step great granddaughter Violet Mae Cook of Mott ND. Also surviving is his second wife, Norma Jean Pence Cline Johnson.
Stump Funeral Home & Cremation, Inc., Grantsville WV has been entrusted with the funeral arrangements of Rev. Johnson.
Due to the current social distancing requirements there will be a private graveside service at Sturm Family Cemetery, Mt. Zion WV conducted by Dr. Timothy Cline of Chillicothe Baptist Church. A public memorial service will be planned at a later date.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.stumpfuneralhomes.com
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