Mr. Richard Howard Johnson

Obituary For Mr. Richard Howard Johnson

Mr. Richard H. Johnson Obituary

Richard Howard Johnson, 94, of Silver Spring, Maryland, passed away peacefully on May 15th, 2025, in Powder Springs, Georgia, surrounded by his loving family.

Born on January 7, 1931, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Richard Sampson Johnson and Della Howard Johnson, Rick was a man of purpose and impact from an early age beginning with his involvement in sports, at the age of 7 in1938 at Camp Downingtown, in Downingtown, PA. There, he was introduced to many sports he grew to love including basketball and tennis. He continued attending as a camper until he joined the camp staff as a Counselor, ultimately becoming the Summer Camp Program Director until 1953.

His love of basketball expanded when he joined a church league basketball team, and later played on his Snyder High School, and Jersey City State Junior College teams in Jersey City, New Jersey.

In 1949, Rick matriculated to Virginia Union University (VUU) in Richmond, VA, and began an active life as a student athlete, playing on the basketball and tennis teams. He played on the Varsity Basketball Team all 4 years of his tenure at VUU, becoming a force to be reckoned with playing the center position. Rick served as team captain in his junior and senior years. He also served as Class President Freshman and Sophomore years. He also pledged into the Alpha Gamma chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity at VUU, joining the brotherhood that he would proudly call his own for the rest of his years.

After graduating from VUU with honors in 1953, Rick attended Boston University where he earned his master’s in social work degree in 1955. During this time, he worked with youth gang members in the Boston area.

In July of 1955, Rick entered the U.S. Army as a Counselor in the Psychiatric Department at Fort Knox, Kentucky. It was during this year that his best friend introduced him to the love of his life, Winona (Winnie) Nicholas, and they wed on August 18th, 1956, in West Orange, NJ. He completed serving his time and was honorably discharged on July 18th, 1957, rejoining his bride in Cleveland, Ohio.

After his time in the Army, Rick began a career of service working in the field of Psychology, Social Work, and Youth Education in Cleveland, Ohio. During this time, he continued his affinity for playing basketball in the semi-pro league with the Cleveland Pipers. Over time, he left the Pipers and joined the Old-Timers League, where he served as President for a while, which was a bit more fun and flexible, as his career in social work and his family life expanded.

Rick served the community, working in roles such as a Court Marriage Counselor, Administrator of Maternal and Child Health Programs, and Supervisor of an Anti-Delinquency program. Eventually Rick reengaged his passion in serving youth, ultimately becoming the Director of the Hough Parent & Child Center (PCC), administered by the Family Service Association of Cleveland. The success of this center under his leadership caught the attention of the Secretary of Education in Washington D.C. and he was appointed in 1971 to join the National Head Start Bureau as the Chief, Parent and Child Center Program, Office of Child Development, U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. He spent 25 years with Head Start, advancing to be the National Director of Social Services and Parent Involvement, and finally serving as Chief, Family and Community Involvement, Head Start Bureau.

Rick also served the community as a Charter Member of the Beta Mu Chapter of the Grand Boule of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity from 1981 through 1984.

Richard was a devoted husband to Winona (Winnie) Nicholas Johnson, and a loving, actively engaged father to Sandra Johnson Harris and Richard Nicholas Johnson. He is survived by both of his children, his grandchildren (Nicholas Gregory Harris, Richard Murdock Johnson, Royce Imani Johnson), nieces (Marian Callaway & Tajuana Callaway), first cousin (Roscoe Conklin Howard), great nieces and nephews (Ashley Callaway, Lindsey Callaway, Robert Callaway Jr., & Christopher Callaway), and a host of other extended relatives. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife, D. Winona Johnson, his parents, Richard Sampson Johnson and Della Howard Johnson, and his beloved sister, Eleanor Antoinette Johnson.

There will be a Memorial Celebration on Friday, May 30th:

Shaw Temple AME Zion Church

775 Hurt Road, Smyrna, GA 30082

11- Noon: Viewing

12-1: Brief Service & Reflections from Friends & Family

Livestream available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shawtemplea.m.e.zionchurch/streams

Repass to Follow

Special Request: In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations be sent to the National Head Start Association https://nhsa.org/dollar-per-child/, and select “Dedicate my donation in memory of Richard H. Johnson” when prompted. Next, select to notify a recipient by (email) and use the name of Ricky Johnson and the email address of contact@johnsontechnology.com.

Or, you can send your donation to Rick’s beloved alma mater, Virginia Union University, https://www.vuu.edu/about-union/about/give-to-union; select “Tribute Gift”; then select “In Memory Of”. In the comments box, you can include the deceased's name “Richard H. Johnson Class of ‘53”. Thank you.