John Rochelle Lee Johnson Jr.

  General Notes:

John Rochelle Lee Johnson met his future wife, Josephine H. Lucas, while his father was working as a school teacher at the Normal School in Radford, Va. (William and Mary College has the father as Head of the English Department at Radford College)

The 1930 Federal Census for Horsepasture, Henry Co., Virginia, District 1, records John R. L. Johnson (23) boarding at a home on Field Ave in Fieldale, Va. John is listed as a High School Teacher.

The 1940 Federal Census for New Castle Co., Delaware, District 2-16A, page 255B, dated April 22, 1940 records John R. (33 - VA) and Josephine (33 - VA) Johnson with their daughter Susan Johnson (1 - Delaware). Also in the household is Madaline Boyd (15 - VA) working as a maid. John is renting a home on Fairfield Farm for $70 / month and is employed as a Lawyer for a Powder Company. He earned $4,500 for 52 weeks in the last year. On April 1, 1935 John was living in Cambridge Massachusetts, while Josephine was in Riner, [Montgomery Co.,] VA as was Madeline Boyd.

Obituary:
John R. L. Johnson, Sr., 97, formerly of Ocean Springs, Mississippi from 1987-2001 and more recently of Chadds Ford, Pa., died at his home in Rockland, Del., on December 23, 2003. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 27 at 2 p.m. at Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Buck Road, Greenville, Del. Burial will be private.
Born in Franklin, Va., Mr. Johnson received his early education in Franklin and in Radford, Va. He received an A.B. degree at the College of William and Mary in 1928, and an M.A. degree in philosophy in 1929. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
He taught and was principal of a high school at Fieldale, Henry County, Va., during 1929 to 1930; was assistant librarian at the College of William and Mary, 1930 to 1932; and entered Harvard Law School in 1932, receiving his LL.B. degree in 1935. He was research assistant to Professor Williston on the second edition of "Williston on Contracts" in 1935.
Mr. Johnson worked as a junior attorney for six months with the Security Exchange Commission before becoming associated with Hercules Powder Company in January 1936, as assistant general counsel in the Legal Department in Wilmington.
Mr. Johnson was admitted to the VA Bar Association in June 1932. He was admitted to the DE Bar in June 1937 and was a member of the American and DE Bar Associations.
He served as counsel for the Hercules-operated Radford Ordnance Plant in 1940, and as counsel for the Hercules-operated Volunteer Ordnance Works in 1941. In 1942, he returned to Wilmington as assistant general counsel of the Legal Department. He was named director of the department and general counsel in 1949. Mr. Johnson was named to the Board of Directors of Hercules Powder Company in January 1954. In 1955 he was elected vice-president, a member of the Executive Committee and a member of the Finance Committee.
Mr. Johnson served as a member of the Board of Directors for the College of William and Mary Alumni Society from 1956 to 1962, and served as President from 1957 to 1958. He received the Alumni Medallion in 1963. In 1970, Mr. Johnson was named to the Board of Visitors of the College of William and Mary. He served as Vice Rector for the Board from 1974 to 1976 and as Rector from 1976 to 1978. Mr. Johnson also served as a Trustee of the Endowment Association from 1967 to 1979.
Mr. Johnson served on the Federal Finance Committee of the Council of State Chambers of Commerce, Washington, D.C. and was a director of the Wilmington YMCA, Blue Cross Blue Shield of DE and the DE Citizens Crime Commission. He belonged to the Wilmington Country Club, Wilmington Club, Hercules Country Club, and to several honorary fraternities. He was also one of the original members of the Association of General Counsels.
Mr. Johnson was preceded in death by his first wife, Josephine Lucas Johnson. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Neill Johnson of Rockland Mills, Del.; a daughter, Mrs. Susan Tulloch of Lewes, Del.; two sons, DeForest Johnson of Kennett Square, Penn. and John R. L. Johnson, III of Charlotte, N. C.; and two stepchildren, Brien Neill of Port Ludlow Wash. and Laura Neill of Jackson, Miss. In addition, Mr. Johnson is survived by thirteen grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to The College of William and Mary, P.O. Box 1693, Williamsburg, VA 23187.

John married Josephine H. Lucas, daughter of Davis Kaywood Lucas and Josephine Deforest, circa 1938. (Josephine H. Lucas was born on 21 Jan 1907 in Auburn, Montgomery Co., Virginia, died on 9 Dec 1981 in Pennsylvania and was buried in Lucas Family Cemetery, Childress, Montgomery Co., VA.)

John next married Living