Obituary of Albert William Johnson, Jr.

Albert William “Bill” Johnson, Jr., 82, passed away on Monday afternoon, the 13thof January 2020 in Corinth, TX. He was 82 years of age. Bill was born on the 28th of October 1937 in St. Louis, Missouri to Albert William Johnson and Evelyn “Eva” Kreider. After spending time in the bowling alley watching his parents bowl, he learned to keep score at the age of 3. He began by setting his own pins and started league bowling at the age of 8. He worked as a caddie at a golf course throughout his youth, usually carrying multiple golf bags. At Webster Groves High School he led the team to a championship in 1954 and won the individual state title a year later. He accepted a golf scholarship from Southern Methodist University where he studied Accounting from 1955 to 1959. After college he joined the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) tour. He was drafted into the U.S. Army and while at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas ran the bowling alley on base and also played in golf tournaments. In 1961, he won the 5th Army Golf Championship in Denver and the 5th Army Bowling Championship in both 1961 and 1962. After his time in the Army, he rejoined the bowling tour. He won one Professional Bowlers Association title, the 1963 All American PBA Classic in Dallas, TX. Before the USBC Masters tournament became a recognized event by the PBA, he placed second in 1967 and fourth in 1968 in what became known as one of the sport’s major championships. During President Nixon’s tenure he and several others were invited to the White House. After bowling a couple games on the lanes in the White House basement, each visitor was presented a tie tack with the presidential seal. Bill finished second four times and in the top five another six times in his PBA career. He competed on the PBA tour until the early 1970s when a knee injury force him to retire. He then joined Tenneco in 1977, working his way through the ranks as an Operator, Controlman, Stillman and then Region Supervisor over both crude units and cokers. He retired from Tenneco in 1995. When the PBA added a senior division in the 1980’s, he had a fourth-place finish with Tim Milton in 1988 in the Senior/Touring Pro Doubles Championship. He also won a pair of Senior All Star Bowling Association titles, including SASBA’s first-ever event in 1990 in Rosenberg, Texas. Bill’s son, Randy Johnson, was also a touring professional and they would compete in doubles tournaments. Bill and Randy were the second father-son combination to qualify for a PBA Tour telecast, after Dick and Pete Weber. In 1997, Bill was an inducted into the St. Bernard Parish (New Orleans area) Sports Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Louisiana State USBC Hall of Fame. Bill counted New Orleans as his most favorite location and it’s where he met his wife, Sandra. During a tournament there that began on Tuesday, he kept his eye on her throughout the event and met her after the competition by having the bowling center manager introduce him. He asked her on a date Wednesday night after the tournament and proposed that evening. On Thursday she accepted his marriage proposal. They married two years later in 1966 and would have celebrated 54 years of marriage on Friday, January 17, 2020. After Hurricane Katrina, Bill and Sandra relocated from New Orleans to the Dallas area. Bill is preceded in death by his parents and his son Randy Johnson. Bill is survived by his wife, Sandra B Johnson; daughters Michelle (De La Cruz) and Kimberlee (Chatelain); brother, Jerry Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri. Grandkids include Andrew M. Johnson, Rebecca Morris, Journi Chatelain Pope, Dane Chatelain, Jasmine De La Cruz, and Joshua De La Cruz. Great-grandchildren include Anneliese Bobermin, Juliet Bobermin and Liam Pope. Celebration of Life will be held at Plano Super Bowl, 2521 K Avenue, Plano, TX 75074 on Saturday, January 18, 2020 from 1 to 5 pm. Family & Friends will gather to share memories and lanes will be available for bowling. Bowling attire is encouraged. In lieu of flowers or customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in Bill’s name be made to the Lanson Chien Memorial Youth Scholarship, 4708 Morales Street, Metairie, LA 70006, or can be made at any Whitney National Bank in the New Orleans, LA area. Lanson Chien was his best friend; the bowling youth scholarship was near to Bill's heart and will seed future generations of bowling talent.