Robert C Johnson

Lexington, Kentucky Robert C. "Bob" Johnson, 89 years old, widower of Trula Bridges Johnson departed this earthly life and entered eternal heavenly life May 2, 2014. He was born to Howard C. and Elizabeth Hunter Johnson on November 12, 1924, in Jessamine County, Kentucky. He graduated from Lafayette High School in 1942, and was employed by the U.S. Army Signal Corps until inducted into the U.S. Navy in July 1943. While in the Navy, he received training at Great Lakes, Wright Junior College in Chicago, University of Houston and the Naval Research Lab in Washington, DC. He graduated from the Lab with a rating of RT2/c. He served on the USS Charger (CVE 30) and the PCE869 which was one of seven given to the Chinese Nationalists under Lend Lease. Bob was one of 15 US sailors stationed on PCE869 to train the Chinese crew after the ship was turned over. He was discharged from the Navy, April 1945, with a rating of RT1/c. Returning to Lexington in October, 1946, he entered University of Kentucky and completed a BSEE in January, 1950. While a student at UK, he was inducted into three honorary societies; Engineering-TauBetaPi, Electrical - EtaKappaNu, and Physics -SigmaPiSigma. Upon graduating, he joined Shely Construction Co. as a Field Superintendent constructing electrical lines. While with Shely, he became Kentucky Registered Professional Engineer No. 2339. Resigning from Shely, November, 1953, he joined Kentucky Utilities as a distribution engineer, initially assigned to the Lexington District, then to Winchester, Mt. Sterling and Maysville districts in 1957. He and Trula Belle Bridges married June 20, 1964. He resigned from KU in July 1968 and joined Commonwealth Associated, Inc.; a consulting engineering company headquarter in Jackson, Michigan, as a Distributive Engineer. Assigned to Lahore, West Pakistan, on a soil reclamation project. They resided in Lahore for two years. Completing his contract in July, 1970, he joined Sanderson and Porter, Inc,. of New York in September, 1970. Assigned to Saigon, South Vietnam as a Resident Manager on a transmission and distribution project, the Johnsons resided in Saigon until April, 1973, when he was transferred to the home office, working as an electrical engineer. In February, 1976, he was assigned to Al Khubar, Saudi Arabia, as Resident Manager for a $100 million engineering contract on a billion dollar desalination and generation project. He completed a year's assignment and semi-retired to Knoxville, TN, in 1977. Entering the University of Tennessee, he graduated with an MBA in June, 1979. Deciding he was too young to retire, Bob joined the US Agency for International Development as an Electrical Engineer and was assigned to Jakarta, Indonesia, on a rural electrification project. After fifty months, the Johnsons transferred to Cairo, Egypt, assigned to generation and distribution projects. Completing fifty months in Egypt, they retired to Knoxville, TN, in June, 1988. They returned to Lexington in November 1993. He was preceded in death by his parents, Elizabeth and Howard Johnson, his sister, Polly Lykins. He is survived by his sister, Jane Dinsmore, two nephews, Dale Howard Dinsmore and Robert Howard Lykins and numerous cousins. During his lifetime, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were strong supporters of the Clear Creek Baptist College as well as several churches and charitable institutions. Funeral Information A celebration of life service will be conducted by Dr. John Landon at 6pm, Monday, May 19, 2014 at Clark Legacy Center, Brannon Crossing. A gathering of family and friends will follow the service.