William "Bill" George Johnson

William G. Johnson, age 80, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 3, 2024, surrounded by his family. He was the loving husband of Erika (Kaluder) Johnson, with whom he shared 56 years of marriage.

Born in Chicago, IL, he was the son of the late George and Geraldine (Mattoon) Johnson. He was a longtime resident of Holmdel, NJ and Gilford, NH, and, most recently, Venice and Port Charlotte, FL.

William, fondly known as Bill, Pop, and “YHU” (Your Handsome Uncle), will be remembered by all as an incredibly intelligent and sharp-witted man. He earned his Ph.D. (A.B.D.) in Political Science, studying at both Notre Dame University and Rutgers University. He spent most of his career in the mortgage finance and banking industry, founding and serving as President of the Columbia Group in Maclean, VA. After the sale of his company in 1984, he served as Executive Vice President and Board Member of Shearson Lehman Brothers in New York until his retirement in 1986 at the impressive age of 43.

Retirement, however, certainly did not mean relaxation for Bill, a man who was always devoted to keeping his mind and body in motion. Aside from his love for political science, Bill was passionate about giving back to his community. He founded and was acting President of Ozanam Place in Laconia, NH, a community-based organization which offers transitional housing, peer support, and job training to homeless single parents and children. In addition, he served as President of and Financial Aid Team Leader of the Society of St. Vincent DePaul in both Laconia, NH and later, in Venice, FL. Notably, he was elected and acted as New Hampshire State Representative for the town of Gilford from 2000-2002.

Bill was an avid reader and sports fan. You could always find him cheering on his beloved Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Chicago Bears, and LA Dodgers. He enjoyed traveling, cooking, a great glass of wine or Maker’s Mark (preferred with one large ice cube), and spending time with friends. When he did relax, it wasn’t uncommon to find him on the couch watching his favorite Harry Potter movie or re-run of Monk. But most of all, he cherished the time spent with his wife, children, grandchildren, and his loving nieces and nephew. He was the epitome of not only a gentleman, but a “gentle man.”

In addition to his wife, he is survived by three daughters, Lisa M. Johnson and her fiancé, Kurtis Thompson, of North Port, FL; Dana M. Venino and her husband, John, of Little Silver, NJ; Kathryn A. Vezina and her husband, Michael, of North Attleboro, MA; and one son, Eric G. Johnson and his wife, Susan McCann, of Holderness, NH; eight grandchildren, Olivia Miller, John Venino II, Reilly Venino, Avery Venino, Addison Vezina, Maci Johnson, Cameron Vezina, and Griffin Vezina; his nieces Christy Enright of Kaneohe, HA and Julie Wooden of Boulder Creek, CA; his nephew Michael Krokidas of Flossmor, IL; and his “adopted son” Kevin Edwards and his wife, Angela Edwards, of Bethesda, MD.

A gathering of family and friends for Bill will be held on Friday, February 9 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Kays-Ponger & Uselton Funeral Home, 2405 Harbor Blvd., Port Charlotte, FL, followed by a celebration of life at 1:00 PM. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, we encourage you to make a contribution in his honor to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or online at https://stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html; or, March of Dimes, 1500 Crystal Drive, Suite 1300 Arlington, VA 22202, or online at https://www.marchofdimes.org/ways-to-give/donate.

For tributes and directions, visit https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/port-charlotte-fl/william-johnson-11653639.