Jimmy Edward Johnson

Jimmy Edward Johnson died peacefully on September 7th 2026 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Jim was born in Shelby, NC, January 18, 1948 to Thelma Harris and Bradley Johnson. He spent his early years in Asheville, NC. At around the age of 10, he moved to Jersey City, New Jersey to live with his father. He attended public school in New Jersey, later Greer School in Millbrook, NY, and Miller School of Albemarle in Charlottesville, VA. After High School, he held various jobs. He worked for a telephone company, repaired medical equipment, and was even a voice of “Obituary of the Air” radio service in Asheville. In 1966 he married Guydana Bell, enlisted in the Navy, and his first daughter Stephanie was born. His first marriage ended, and in 1973 he married Kathryn Schmidt. They had two children, Becky and Chris, in 1975 and 1978. It was during this period that he would steer his life and career into the direction of what would become a lifelong passion in the medical field. Eventually, he became a Physician Assistant after graduating from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1979. As a PA, he practiced at Stovall Medical Center, Stovall; West Wilkes Medical Center, Ferguson; Mountain View Medical Center, Hickory; Urban Ministries, Raleigh; and WATCH Program in Goldsboro NC until his retirement in 2019. He loved being a PA and his patients loved him at each place that he practiced. Not only was he a learner throughout his life, he was a lifelong seeker. He was baptized in the Episcopal Church in 1961 and converted to Catholicism in 1970. In 1994 he became a Deacon in the Orthodox Church, and was assigned a parish which he loved. Aside from his formal affiliations, he was an armchair scholar of Theology, Eastern religions, and Philosophy. Jim was also devoutly committed to the rights of workers. He edited a journal for the International Workers of the World for a number of years. Additionally, he was a member of numerous labor unions. It would have amused him to know that he died on Labor Day. He traveled to Cuba in the 1980s and documented the healthcare system for a medical journal. He was a proud member of Veterans For Peace and was active in many political causes whose common goals were for freedom and equal rights for all. He is survived by his children; Stephanie Goodwin (m. David), Becky Johnson, and Chris Johnson (m. Jaclyn), his grandchildren - Eric Swilling, Mia Tonkin, Cash and Altair Barlow, and two great-grandchildren - Luna and Avery Tonkin. He will also be remembered in parental or guardian roles; to Rickey Carroll while living in N. Wilkesboro, and Samantha Sheets Gatto and Zachary Elledge while in a long-term relationship with Lisa Sheets in Hickory, after his second marriage dissolved. Kathy Johnson remained friends with Jim during his final years and provided selfless care and attention to him, just as they both had done for others during their professional lives. A Celebration of Life will be held on September 19th 10am at The Doggett Center, 1410 Hillsborough Street Raleigh, NC 27605. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to The American Red Cross, The Doggett Center in Raleigh, or Catholic Charities USA.

Jimmy Edward Johnson

January 18, 1948 - September 7, 2026