Philip Johnson

Philip Johnson was born on April 2, 1928, in Kent, Ohio. He died November 7, 2011. Philip was the fifth of thirteen children born to the late Dora (Lewis) and John J. Johnson.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Mary (Allen); his two children, Mary Elaine (Marc) Cooper of El Segundo, CA and US Army Major Philip L. (Mary Kay) Johnson of Guam; six grandchildren, Marc Philip, Kamelah, Zaria, Anaya, Philip Jr., and Philip Josiah; brothers, John J. (Stella) Johnson of Beltsville, MD, James Johnson of Charlotte, NC, William Johnson of Houston, TX, and Norman (Vicky) Johnson of Kent; and many relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; and his brothers, Byron and Charles; and his sisters, Dollie Ann Trimble, Amy Blizzard, Hattie Hughes, Virginia Cardwell, and Henrietta Anderson.

Philip grew up in Kent and Cleveland, graduating from Glenville High School in June 1946 and from Central State University in 1951. He attended law school at The Ohio State University. In 1952, he entered the US Army during the Korean War. He was a former member and volunteer tax accountant of the California American Legion Post #710 (San Bernadino) with the most current being the American Legion Post #496 of Kent.

Philip worked as an accountant (systems accountant and supervising accountant) for several departments of the U.S. Government (Defense, USAF, and Labor) and helped with the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). He was a member of the Federal Government Accountants Association. He also was a licensed real estate agent in Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC for many years, working part-time for several companies - Peck Realtors and Lewis & Silverman Realtors.

He married his wife, Mary (Allen) on July 14, 1961 at Anderson AFB, Guam, Marianas Island, where both worked as civilians for the Air Force. They honeymooned in Hong Kong in 1962. Philip taught accounting classes at night for two years at the College of Guam, now the University of Guam. Philip was a devoted, active, loving husband, father, and grandfather.

He lived in the Kemp Mill Estates in Silver Spring, Maryland from 1966 to 1996 where he worked and raised a family with his wife. He moved back to the Kent area, his birthplace, after retirement. He was a member of many organizations during his lifetime. He was a member of the Kent Coin Club and Union Baptist Church.

He will be remembered as a very industrious worker, a family-helper, a caring person, a family photographer who made pictures in the darkroom from 1955 to 1975 before drugstore pictures became routine, a personal tax preparer and investment advisor for fifty years to many friends, a person who loved to share his love for marinated and grilled meats and smoked turkeys, a very responsible, multi-talented, respected individual, and an engaging conversationalist. His emphasis on education, saving for financial independence, sacrifice, caring for family, and hard work was reflected not just in his words, but in his actions.