Harold "Hal" Johnson

October 8th, 1948 in Dayton, Ohio. He passed away at his home on Friday, August 26th, 2022.

Hal is survived by his sister, Joyellen Paolo, of Centerville and his brother, James Johnson, of

Dayton. Hal’s nieces and nephews are Marybeth Clarke (Harrisonburg, VA), Melissa Heaton

(Highland Heights, KY), Melinda Leet (Miamisburg, OH), and M. Joseph Heaton (Washington,

DC).

Hal attended Our Lady of Mercy and St. Helen Elementary Schools in Dayton. He was a 1966

graduate of Beavercreek High School and went on to attend Miami University in Oxford, Ohio,

where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Fraternity.

Hal held an interest in several Dayton area bars and sports venues over the years. He taught

himself to run a small business after college and found he enjoyed working behind the scenes

to make a business profitable. He was an astute bookkeeper and accountant and he had

acquired a good grasp of finance. From there on, he began partnering with friends who could

benefit from his business acumen. He became a successful local entrepreneur who very much

enjoyed his part in contributing to the entertainment, sports, and leisure scene in Dayton.

Hal enjoyed playing and following sports and athletics from a young age. He participated in

Little League and high school baseball and made many trips with his dad to Crosley Field and

then later to the Great American Ballpark to follow the Cincinnati Reds. As a boy, Hal’s prized

possessions were his ball glove and his collection of Topps baseball trading cards. His father

also taught him to play snooker and pool, and eventually, Hal became well known as a standout

at national billiard competitions. In the early 90s, he captained a pool team sponsored by

Airway Billiards (Dayton) to compete at the World Championship of Pool in Las Vegas. His team

won the Masters’ Division (highest rank) title there for 3 different years.

In semi-retirement, Hal pursued hobbies at home. He routinely tackled Sudoku every morning

which was followed usually by a long walk. He was passionate about difficult jigsaw puzzles

too. He framed and hung the walls of his home with many of those large games he’d

completed. Hal was an avid observer of American politics, especially the period following the

2016 national elections. He took a strong stand against the direction and policies established

by the 45th President and his administration. He continued to study that consequential era by

reading and researching up until the time he passed away. Hal was known for his generosity,

friendliness, and quick smile. His friendships were many and he valued each one of them

dearly.

A Celebration of Hal’s Life will be held at Setters Volleyball Club, 1008 Gateway Drive, Dayton,

Ohio on Saturday, September 10th, 2022 at 6:00 PM.

In Hal’s memory, please consider a donation to The American Heart Association:

https://www.heart.org/

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.tobiasfh.com for the Johnson family.