Robert Johnson (1938-2020)

JOHNSON, HETH, STAHL

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 5/25/2020 at 19:43:58

ROBERT "BOB" JOHNSON Manchester
Bob Johnson, 82, passed away on April 15, 2020. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. He is survived by Brent (Teri) of Indian Wells, Calif.; Brad of Clayton, Iowa; and Jana (Keith Rowley) of Manchester, Iowa. He also is survived by 10 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews that were near and dear to his heart; and his sister, Kathryn (Darwin) Hopkins of Ankeny. His parents, sister, Ruby Jean, and brother, Tom, preceded him in death. Bob was born in Waukon, Iowa, on Feb. 20, 1938, and graduated from Fayette High School in 1956. He was proud to have earned 13 sports letters and a football scholarship to play for Upper Iowa where he graduated in 1959. He started his career teaching school and coaching football and track at Allison-Bristow and twice at North High School in West Union. He played on an undefeated team in Fayette, but also coached undefeated teams in both Marengo and West Union with his 1964 team going undefeated and never playing a home game while having to practice on the airport runway while a new field was being built. Business was always in Bob's blood. While he was teaching, he started a sports slogan company where he sold slogan cards for sports teams throughout the United States. After he left coaching, other business endeavors were sales manager for H & H Distributors of West Union, a buyer for Daytons Department Stores, president of Quarterback Sports & Leisure stores and spent 23 years as president of Pharmaceutical Innovators, Ltd., a manufacturer of pill counting machines sold throughout the world located in West Union. Bob married Maureen Heth in 1957 in Fayette, Iowa. They later divorced. In 1994, he married Cynthia Stahl of Decorah and was in business for 12 years in Branson, Mo. He later divorced and since has lived primarily in Indian Wells, Calif., until moving to Manchester in 2017. Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.iowacremation.com under obituaries.
Published in The Gazette on Apr. 16, 2020