Wesley Frost Johnson

Mr. Johnson was born January 31, 1927, in Atlanta, the son of the late Wesley Floyd Johnson and Ruth Elizabeth Frost Johnson. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Mary Matson Wilkerson and Jane Johnson Wright. He was a U. S. Navy veteran of World War II.

Mr. Johnson was a 1944 honor graduate of Boys High in Atlanta and a 1949 graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology with a BS degree in General Engineering. He worked as a student engineer in various departments with Georgia Power for five years in Atlanta. In October, 1955, he was promoted and moved to Rome as Division Commercial Sales Engineer. He was later promoted to Division Sales Manager and served as Assistant to the Vice President of the Rome Division until retirement in 1989.

Mr. Johnson was a member and elder of the First Presbyterian Church; served as secretary-treasurer for Rome and Floyd County Development Authorities for 25 years; was past president and lifetime member of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce and was instrumental in establishing the Leadership Rome Program, later being honored to have the Wesley F. Johnson Leadership Award given annually at graduation.

Mr. Johnson served on the Northwest Georgia Council, Boy Scouts of America and was recipient of the Silver Beaver Award and recently the Distinguished Citizen’s Award; the Floyd Medical Center Foundation Board and past president; was a founding member of the Health Initiative for Men in 2001; the Rome-Floyd YMCA Life Member and Board member for over 50 years; the Cancer Navigators Board of Directors; founding member of the Georgia State Bank, later AmSouth and now Regions; and a founder of the National Creative Society.

Other leadership roles included the Rome Area Council for the Arts, the Floyd Healthcare Foundation, Dogwood Ball, Robert Battey Fellowship, the Arts in Medicine Advisory Council, Floyd Healthcare management Board, Rome Jaycees, Floyd County American Cancer Society, Georgia Division of the American Cancer Society Past President, local chapter of the American Red Cross, Exchange Club of Rome, Coosa Valley Fair Assn., United Way of Rome, Heart of the Community Foundation, Northwest GA Society of Professional Engineers, past national director of the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Rome Georgia Tech Club, Rome Power Squadron and was Grand Marshall of the Rome Christmas Parade. He received the YMCA Lifetime Achievement Award, Heart of the Community Governor's Award, the Floyd Medical Center Good Samaritan Award and the American Cancer Society St. John’s Award.

Survivors include his wife of 62 years, the former Jean Brown, to whom he was married June 26, 1949; a daughter, Judith Ann Johnson Frasure (Ray) of Rome; a son, William Wesley Johnson (Candice), of Acworth; grandchildren, Thomas J. Frasure, Rome, Jeremy L. Smith, Rome, Jesse Lynn Smith, Rome, Caroline Jean Johnson, Woodstock and Elizabeth Nicole Johnson, Woodstock; and a number of nieces and nephews.

A Service of Celebration was held Friday, June 1, 2012, at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Jeff Chadwick and Judge Robert G. Walther officiating. Interment followed in Sunset Hill Memorial Gardens, Rome.

Pallbearers were Stanley C. Land, Robert Wesley Matson, Scott McCreless, William P. Smith III, William P. Smith IV, Robert B. Watson, Jr., John Wesley Wright and N. M. Wright, III. Honorary pallbearers were Dr. George Bosworth, Dr. Randolph Green, Dr. Jack Runninger, Charles Rutledge, Milton T. Tippin, Jr., Dr. Robert Williams, Lowell Wilkins, Sam Evans, John Youmans and Ken Cormany.

The family will receive friends at Daniel’s Funeral Home on Thursday, May 31, 2012, from 5 until 8 p.m.

Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be sent to Cancer Navigators, 3 Central Plaza, #415, Rome, GA 30161, Rome YMCA 810 East Second Ave., Rome, GA 30161 or Northwest GA Council, Boy Scouts of America, P. O. Box 1422, Rome, GA 30162-1422.