"He was all-in": Johnny Johnson remembered after losing battle with COVID-19

Feb. 26—Former Cobb County Board of Education member Johnny Johnson, a grandfather of seven, died Wednesday of complications from the coronavirus.

Johnson, who was 74, lived in east Cobb, and is remembered for serving his community and local schools, family members told the MDJ.

"I've never known a man to work that hard, and he loved it. He enjoyed giving himself to everything and investing himself in everything," his son, Jerad Johnson, said. "He was all-in with everything he did."

Johnson was born in Villa Rica, where he was voted the "prettiest baby" in town, according to his daughter, Jana Johnson-Barry. He grew up in Atlanta with three brothers and graduated college from Georgia State, where he joined the fraternity Phi Kappa Phi — something his son would later do.

He and his wife of 50 years, Anna Johnson, moved to east Cobb in 1975 and stayed there ever since.

In 1979, he opened Edward-Johns Jewelers off Johnson Ferry Road. For 27 of its 42 years in business, he ran the shop with his daughter. In that time, he served as president of the Georgia Jewelers Association and was named Georgia Jeweler of the Year.

Johnson was someone who seemed to know everyone — he could be spotted talking with elected officials such as Johnny Isakson and Bob Barr in his store. Jerad Johnson recalls many family dinners were interrupted by people who wanted to talk to him.

"People just wanted to come say hi. Everybody wanted to shake his hand," he said. "And I think we all hope to carry that legacy on."

A Republican, Johnson represented part of east Cobb on the Cobb school board for a dozen years, retiring in 2008.

In his time on the board and after, the county grew tremendously, and he and his colleagues oversaw the opening of many new school buildings, said former board member Betty Gray, who served with him.

Johnson was a leader who helped make the school board more unified, she said.

"He was always eager to keep his focus on, what do our kids need?" she said. "The Board of Education became a unit to develop education. And that's important when you've got people working that are very different."

Gray remembers Johnson had a "delightful sense of humor" and was kind and cheerful.

After retiring from elected office, Johnson remained involved in local schools, offering his advice and support to educators and volunteering, his son said. He was honored by the Georgia PTA with a Lifetime Membership Award.

Alice Summerour, a past president of the Marietta Kiwanis Club, spoke of his involvement in the East Cobb Kiwanis Club.

"He was just a tremendous community servant and an extraordinary Kiwanian," she said. "He was always giving his time and supporting nonprofits and organizations throughout our community."

Johnson served in Kiwanis at the district and international level, accumulating a long list of accolades in the organization. He was recognized as a distinguished governor of the Georgia District, received the first Georgia District Workhorse of the Year Award and twice earned a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The former school board member chaired the east Cobb division of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, and was a past president of the Cobb County YMCA. He was named an East Cobb Citizen of the Year.

Johnson-Barry said her father taught her to always have a sense of humor.

"He was so funny. He was a great storyteller," she said.

Johnson was a passionate Braves fan — he held season tickets at the old stadium — and supported the Atlanta Knights minor league hockey team. But one of his favorite places was Pope High School, where he could often be found cheering from the end zone corner at a football game or in the stands at basketball games.

His children remember him being present in their lives and making memories — they spent about two decades in the front row of Chastain Park ampitheatre, listening to icons such as Aretha Franklin and The Beach Boys.

"He made sure that we were together and happy," his son said.

During the Christmas season, Johnson could be spotted as Santa Claus at his store, for foster children and at the "Home for the Holidays" production at Pebblebrook High School. Wherever he was asked, the white haired, bearded man would show up as the jolly old elf for free.

In an email shared with the MDJ, the Cobb Association of Retired School Administrators asked for prayers for Johnson's family "and this wonderful man who loved his family, his friends, and CCSD. It is a privilege to know him."

Details have not been set for a service, but the family plans to hold a memorial outside, in the stadium at Pope High School.

"We're in the early stages of figuring out a day and time where the weather is going to work right to have it outside, so we can have a lot of people. Because he deserves it," Jerad Johnson said.

To plant a tree in memory of Johnny Johnson as a living tribute, please visit Tribute Store. — MDJ editor Aleks Gilbert contributed to this report.