WILMINGTON — Robert William Johnson, 73, passed away peacefully Tuesday, June 9, 2020, at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare Center.
Bobby was born December 1946 in Staten Island, New York, then relocated to North Carolina in 1961. He was a 1965 graduate of New Hanover High School and served our great country in the U.S. Air Force following high school.
He was the North Carolina representative for the National Cargo Bureau and owned M.D. Johnson and Son Marine Surveyors with his father, Melvin Douglas Johnson, for over 40 years, working in and around the ports of North Carolina and the East Coast. During that time, he acquired many close friends and contacts who became lifelong friends. He truly loved being around the port and the interactions and friendships he made along the way.
During his free time, he enjoyed baseball, football, coaching and being a baseball umpire for many years. He was a seasoned dancer belonging to the Cape Fear Shag Club and truly loved music and his special friend and dance partner, Cindy Parker. He also enjoyed being a longtime volunteer for the North Carolina Azalea Festival as well as classic cars. He loved birdwatching and watching his grandchildren participate in sports and activities.
Bobby was preceded in death by his father, Melvin Sr.; mother, Gertrude; and brother, Melvin Jr.
He is survived by his two children, Karen Johnson Ford, and her husband, George, of Hampstead and Dr. Kevin M. Johnson, and his wife, Heather, of Wilmington. He had four grandchildren, Morgan Johnson, Cooper Ford, Brady Johnson and Georgia Ford. He is also survived by his four siblings, Sharon Skipper, and her husband, Martin, Barbara Wenderlich, and her husband, Erik, and Steven Johnson, and his wife, Suzanne, all of Wilmington, and Joe Johnson, and his wife, Mandy, of Huntersville; along with many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 16, at Greenlawn Cemetery.
Special thanks to the Lower Cape Fear LifeCare Center for their special care and support throughout his last days.
Remembrances may be made to Lower Cape Fear LifeCare Center or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
