HJ369: Celebrating the life of Raymond O. Johnson, Sr.


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 369
Offered February 22, 2006
Celebrating the life of Raymond O. Johnson, Sr.
Patron-- Jones, S.C.

WHEREAS, Raymond O. Johnson, Sr., of Suffolk, respected citizen, farmer, and entrepreneur, died on January 27, 2006; and

WHEREAS, Raymond Johnson met his wife Anna on a blind date when she was a nursing student at Obici Hospital, and the couple raised a daughter and four sons, worked on the family farm and in their other diverse farm-oriented businesses, and shared 53 wonderful years together; and

WHEREAS, an enthusiastic supporter of the Boy Scouts of America, Raymond Johnson was very proud that seven of his sons and grandsons became Eagle Scouts; and

WHEREAS, a hard worker and creative entrepreneur, Raymond Johnson originated the pick-your-own strawberry fields in the Suffolk area; and

WHEREAS, Raymond Johnson was primarily a farmer, but he knew that farming alone would not sustain his growing family, so he delivered The Virginian-Pilot in the morning, read electricity meters during the day, and worked the family farm at the end of each day; and

WHEREAS, Raymond Johnson’s truck farm in the Holland area, which is now Suffolk, grew into the successful Johnson’s Roadside Market, where the Johnson children helped with customers and with the planting and harvesting of vegetables and watermelons in the summer and pumpkins in the fall; and

WHEREAS, the roadside market evolved into Johnson’s Flowers, which eventually became Johnson’s Gardens, a highly successful retail shop specializing in flowers, gifts, and garden supplies; and

WHEREAS, Raymond Johnson also built a small lawn mower repair shop into the Roadside Equipment Company, a farm equipment dealership; and

WHEREAS, committed to providing a safe place in the community for youth activities, Raymond Johnson established a camping area on the family farm, which included a cabin, chapel, amphitheater, and fishing ponds and was frequently used by the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, the 4-H Club, and the local church; and

WHEREAS, Raymond Johnson will be fondly remembered for his ardent devotion to his family, his entrepreneurial spirit, and his concern for the well-being of others, especially young people, and will be missed by his loving family, his numerous friends and admirers, and the residents of Suffolk; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly mourn the passing of an outstanding Virginian, Raymond O. Johnson, Sr.; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Raymond O. Johnson, Sr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.