The Rev. Roberts P. Johnson III

JOHNSON, THE REV. ROBERTS POINSETT III, a resident of Mountain Brook, Alabama since 1983, died May 25, 2018. He was born in Winnfield, Louisiana, August 30,1940, and served as an Episcopal priest for 52 years. The Rev. Johnson began his ministry at St. Martin's Episcopal School in Metairie, Louisiana, where he met his future wife, and served in the church there as well as in several other churches in Louisiana. In 1983, following 5 years as Headmaster of St. Matthew's Episcopal School in Houma,Louisiana, he came to Alabama to serve as an associate at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Mtn. Brook. He then served as an interim rector at St. Mary's-on-the-Highlands, Birmingham, until he was called to be rector at St. Alban's Episcopal Church, Hoover, in 1987. The Rev. Johnson remained at St. Albans until his retirement in 2006. He then was asked to be an interim part-time rector of Grace Episcopal Church, Birmingham, Alabama, and remained there for 7 years. He served as Dean of the Birmingham Convocation for several years, and he has been a long time member of Shades Valley Rotary Club.

The Rev. Johnson grew up as the only child of a U.S. Air Force colonel, attending schools in many different places. Following high school graduation from Wiesbaden American High School in Wiesbaden, Germany, he attended Louisiana State University, where he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and graduated in 1962. His seminary training was at the General Theological Seminary (Episcopal) in New York City where he received his Master of Sacred Theology in 1965. His marriage to Barbara Jane Boasberg in 1969 at Christ Church Cathedral in New Orleans was eventually followed by the birth of a son and a daughter. Loved by so many, the Rev. Johnson is survived by his wife, Janie, his son Roberts R Johnson IV (Jade), his daughter, Wendy Johnson Burroughs (Brian) and his 6 grandchildren. Hunter, Preston and Justin Johnson and Jane, William and Samuel Burroughs. He is preceded in death by his parents Colonel and Mrs. R. Poinsett Johnson, Jr. of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The funeral service will be at St. Mary's-on-the-Highlands on Friday, June 15, 2018 at 2:00p.m.. Interment will be in New Orleans at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Episcopal Relief and Development (www.episcopalrelief.org) or to the food bank at Grace Episcopal Church of Woodlawn (gracechurchwoodlawn.org: 5712 1st Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35212). The family would like to extend a special thank you to all the loving and compassionate caregivers who so faithfully attended to Rev. Johnson at the end of his life.