The Family would like to acknowledge with deep appreciation the many expressions of love during our time of bereavement. Your thoughts and efforts were greatly appreciated. Thanks you for keeping us in your prayers.
May God Bless you all.
The Family
Don’t grieve for me for now I’m free, I’m following the path God laid for me
I took his hand when I heard him call, I turned my back and left it all
I could not stay another day, To laugh, to love, to work or play Tasks left undone must stay that way, I’ve found that peace at the close of day
If my parting has left a void, Then fill it with remembered joy
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss, Ah yes, these things I too will miss
Be not burdened with times of sorrow,
I wish for you the sunshine of tomorrow
My life’s been full, I’ve savored much, Good friends, good times, my loved one’s touch
If my time seemed all too brief, Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief
Lift up your heart, rejoice with me, God wanted me now, He set me free.
His lifelong passion was photography and he is remembered being seen with a camera around his neck. He loved taking pictures of his family and extended family at events, capturing many precious moments, and in later years extended that love of photography to experimenting with digital photography and various aspects of photoshop.
He also loved music, and had eclectic tastes, collecting music of all genres and artists, in all formats from vinyl to cassettes to CDs. He also loved to “discover” new artists on YouTube, well into his golden years. His passion for music, listening to and collecting, was a love he passed onto his three children.
He loved sports and was an avid baseball fan as well as player, but he also loved football, and basketball, whichever was currently in season.
He also loved to solve puzzles, his favorite being his Rubik’s Cube, which in latter years he was rarely seen without. Amazingly, he could solve the puzzle in less than three minutes.
He is survived by his wife Yvonne Johnson, his children, Lisa Taylor and husband Dennis, Darren Johnson and wife Michelle Williams, and Jeffrey Johnson; his grandchildren Joi Allen-Baaqee and husband Shakir, Erik Allen and wife Jessica, and Kristopher Taylor; and his great-grandchildren Tiffany Baaqee, Evan Baaqee, Alex Baaqee, Ryan Allen, Tristan Allen, and Kellan Allen.
Roosevelt Phillip Johnson, 87, passed away on Saturday December 31, 2022 at 11:05 PM at Beth Israel Hospital where he died peacefully.
He was born in Boyce, Louisiana on July 27, 1935 to Gus and Effie Johnson.
Following the path of his mother, who moved to Boston in the 1950s for a better life, he also moved to the South End of Boston where he met his future bride-to-be. After a brief stint in the military he married Yvonne Smith of Washington DC, who affectionately nicknamed him “Rudy.” Similarly, she had also moved to Boston in the 1950s.
They married in 1959 and soon moved to 18 Plant Court in Jamaica Plain, Mass where they had three children, Lisa Joy Johnson, Darren Gregory Johnson and Jeffrey Neil Johnson. In the late 1960s the family moved to 61 Elmont Street in Dorchester, MA.
Roosevelt worked at RKO General, the company that owned local radio station WRKO AM and TV station WNAC Channel 7 from the 70’s into the 80’s, where he was a Data-Entry programmer. He loved working there where he was a standout employee and a star player on the company’s softball team.
During the 80’s into the 90’s he worked various jobs including Citizen’s Bank and Lechmere Department Store.
He loved his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in equal measure.
Officiant…Pastor John K. Fernandes Legacy Ministries Minister of Music…Adam Littlejohn Legacy Ministries Invocation
Musical Selection ~ Goodness of God
By CeCe Winans
Scripture Readings ~ Dennis Taylor
Old Testament…1 Chronicles 16:8-11
New Testament…Romans 12:10
Poem ~ “I’m Free” Obituary~ Darren Jackson Remarks and Tributes
Eulogy ~ Pastor John K. Fernandes
Benediction ~ Pastor John K. Fernandes
Oaklawn Cemetery Boston, MA
