Obituary for Rev. William Lennis "Bill" Johnson
Rev. William “Bill” Lennis Johnson, of Chillicothe Ohio, departed this life to begin life in
Heaven with His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on April 8, 2020.
Rev. Johnson was born November 27, 1931 on Bull River, Calhoun County, WV. He attended
Bull River Elementary School, and graduated from Calhoun County High School in 1950, and
then attended Glenville State College, Glenville, WV on a football scholarship.
Married December 23, 1950 to Mary Francis Smith Johnson, Rev. Johnson served in the United
States Air Force (USAF) from March 1952 to June 1972, including overseas assignments in
Morocco (2 years) and Vietnam (1 year). Stateside assignments were in Kansas, New
Hampshire, Texas and Oklahoma. He retired from Vance AFB, Enid, OK as a Senior Master
Sergeant, Superintendent of Aerospace Medicine. After Rev. Johnson’s career in the USAF, he served as Hospital Administrator for Calhoun General Hospital, Grantsville WV from 1973 to 1980, and then was ordained into the gospel ministry in 1981. He served as pastor of 4 churches over the next 25 years, two in West Virginia and two in Ohio. He retired from fulltime gospel ministry in December 2005, due to declining health, but always kept serving his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was a member of
Chillicothe Baptist Church, Chillicothe Ohio.
Rev. Johnson was preceded in death by his parents, William Ray Johnson and Venia Vannoy
Johnson Bickerstaff, infant brother Clarence Ray, brothers Franklin D. and Otis Clyde, sister
Emma Irene Price, infant daughter and his first wife, Mary.
Rev. and Mrs. Johnson had 3 sons, William Craig, Thomas A. (Vera) of Bluefield, WV;
and Richard L. of Buckhannon, WV; and daughter Alexandria “Sherri Lynn” Johnson of Apex,
NC, seven grandsons, Chad (Melanie) of Princeton, WV; Scott (Tiffany) of Vienna, WV; Joshua
(Mandi) of Grantsville, WV; William Caleb of Lincoln, NE; Richard Bradley (Melissa) of
Fairmont, WV; Robert Bryan and Wesley Barrett (Kristen) of Buckhannon, WV. Three
granddaughters, Wendy (Michael) Acord of Lester, WV; Grace (Ethen) Shull of Rapid City, SD;
and Jolie Henriquez of Apex, NC and fifteen great grandchildren, step-son Michael A. (Corina) Cline; two step grandsons, Shawn and Jacob; two step-granddaughters, Lilian (Charlie) Cotton and Elisabeth; and step great granddaughter Violet Mae Cook of Mott, ND. Also surviving is his second wife, Norma Jean Pence Cline Johnson.
Stump Funeral Home & Cremation, Inc., Grantsville, WV has been entrusted with the funeral arrangements of Rev. Johnson.
Due to the current social distancing requirements there will be a private graveside service at
Sturm Family Cemetery, Mt. Zion, WV conducted by Dr. Timothy Cline, Chillicothe Baptist
Church. A public memorial service will be planned at a later date. Online condolences may be expressed at www.stumpfuneralhomes.com
Heaven with His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on April 8, 2020.
Rev. Johnson was born November 27, 1931 on Bull River, Calhoun County, WV. He attended
Bull River Elementary School, and graduated from Calhoun County High School in 1950, and
then attended Glenville State College, Glenville, WV on a football scholarship.
Married December 23, 1950 to Mary Francis Smith Johnson, Rev. Johnson served in the United
States Air Force (USAF) from March 1952 to June 1972, including overseas assignments in
Morocco (2 years) and Vietnam (1 year). Stateside assignments were in Kansas, New
Hampshire, Texas and Oklahoma. He retired from Vance AFB, Enid, OK as a Senior Master
Sergeant, Superintendent of Aerospace Medicine. After Rev. Johnson’s career in the USAF, he served as Hospital Administrator for Calhoun General Hospital, Grantsville WV from 1973 to 1980, and then was ordained into the gospel ministry in 1981. He served as pastor of 4 churches over the next 25 years, two in West Virginia and two in Ohio. He retired from fulltime gospel ministry in December 2005, due to declining health, but always kept serving his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was a member of
Chillicothe Baptist Church, Chillicothe Ohio.
Rev. Johnson was preceded in death by his parents, William Ray Johnson and Venia Vannoy
Johnson Bickerstaff, infant brother Clarence Ray, brothers Franklin D. and Otis Clyde, sister
Emma Irene Price, infant daughter and his first wife, Mary.
Rev. and Mrs. Johnson had 3 sons, William Craig, Thomas A. (Vera) of Bluefield, WV;
and Richard L. of Buckhannon, WV; and daughter Alexandria “Sherri Lynn” Johnson of Apex,
NC, seven grandsons, Chad (Melanie) of Princeton, WV; Scott (Tiffany) of Vienna, WV; Joshua
(Mandi) of Grantsville, WV; William Caleb of Lincoln, NE; Richard Bradley (Melissa) of
Fairmont, WV; Robert Bryan and Wesley Barrett (Kristen) of Buckhannon, WV. Three
granddaughters, Wendy (Michael) Acord of Lester, WV; Grace (Ethen) Shull of Rapid City, SD;
and Jolie Henriquez of Apex, NC and fifteen great grandchildren, step-son Michael A. (Corina) Cline; two step grandsons, Shawn and Jacob; two step-granddaughters, Lilian (Charlie) Cotton and Elisabeth; and step great granddaughter Violet Mae Cook of Mott, ND. Also surviving is his second wife, Norma Jean Pence Cline Johnson.
Stump Funeral Home & Cremation, Inc., Grantsville, WV has been entrusted with the funeral arrangements of Rev. Johnson.
Due to the current social distancing requirements there will be a private graveside service at
Sturm Family Cemetery, Mt. Zion, WV conducted by Dr. Timothy Cline, Chillicothe Baptist
Church. A public memorial service will be planned at a later date. Online condolences may be expressed at www.stumpfuneralhomes.com