Bob was born on December 22nd, 1935 in Greensboro, North Carolina to Robert T. Johnson, Sr and Gertrude Coble Johnson. As a child he lived in Burlington, NC where he graduated from Williams High School in 1954. A life-long athlete, he played football and golf there, and was the star of their track team.
He is a graduate of Duke University, where he served as president of his fraternity, Alpha Tao Omega. He also continued his track participation as a sprinter: Bob would say with a smile that he was the third fastest sprinter in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and sometimes ran alongside the “world’s fastest human” – but was generally looking at the back of his head.
Following graduation from Duke, Bob joined the accounting firm Arthur Andersen in New York City, transferring to Charlotte, NC in 1959 and to Atlanta in 1975. He led Andersen’s Atlanta-based audit practice for the ten years prior to his retirement in 1993 and was the first in his position to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
His 40+ years in Atlanta were rich in many ways. His love of golf was rekindled, and he spent many joyous days trying desperately, and with only limited success, to achieve the level of play on the course that he imagined for himself in the 1st tee.
However, he achieved much as a member at the Dunwoody Country Club. He served as its president from 1993-1994 and scored a hole-in-one – he was pleased by both milestones. His friendships there were legion, and he held a special love for those he met there. Not least, his competitors at the gin table will be missed for their good humor, tolerance and occasional willingness to part with a small sum.
His service to the community was broad, reflecting his abiding belief in the goodness of his fellow man and his faith in God. He served on the executive board of the Metro Atlanta YMCA and was an active member of St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church. At St. Luke’s he was an enthusiastic, albeit modestly discordant, member of the choir, and an Elder.
On the 6th of October, at the age of 82, Bob died peacefully. Bob was blessed in many ways, but was most proud and appreciative of those he is survived by – his wife, Joyce; their children, Elizabeth Johnson, Christi Plaster [Henry Plaster], Robert Johnson [Susan Johnson], Trey Bruns [Amanda Bruns], and Margaret Chiles [Russell Chiles]; his sister, Gertrude Revelle; and her children, Helen Cain [Jim Cain] and Guy Revelle [Tina Revelle]. He also leaves six grandchildren – Elie and Henry Plaster, Caroline and Josh Johnson, and Macon and Victor Chiles – each of whom he would tell you was his favorite.
A memorial service will be held at St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church in Dunwoody on October 10th, 2018 at 11:00AM with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Wounded Warriors Project or St. Luke’s would be welcomed.
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