James Richard Johnson

James Richard Johnson, age 79, Dyersburg, Tennessee passed away on Saturday June 4, 2016.

Richard was born on August 7,1936 in Caruthersville, Missouri. He was the son of the late Luther B. Johnson and Veronica Brunnert Johnson.

He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Barbara

Recker Johnson, their three sons and spouses, Richard (Beth), Mark (Jill) and Darren (Catherine) and grandchildren, Mary Allyn, Matthew, Lee Lee, Brenna, Kate, Whit, Woods, Mattie, and Hew. As well, he is survived by his siblings, Johnny (Eleanor), Joe (Dotty), Margaret Ann (Earl), Paul, Pat (MaryAnn), Mike (Trudy), Aggie, Chris (Wannie), Gerry Wayne, sister in law, Martha, family friend Les and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his sister Gertie Lou, her husband, Wayne, brother-in-law, Jerry, sister-in-law Martha, and niece, Ginny.

Richard served in the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1956 and was stationed in Chateauroux, France and Casablanca, Morocco. He was honorably discharged and received the National Defense Medal and Good Conduct Medal. During the summer of 1957, he fought forest fires in ldaho for the U.S. Forestry Service. ln 1961, he graduated from Memphis State University with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and soon thereafter became a Certified Public Accountant.

After his time at the lnternal Revenue Service, he worked for Ernst & Ernst in Memphis. ln 1972, he served as Treasurer of Downtowner Motor lnns in Las Vegas, Nevada. Richard and his family moved to Dyersburg in 1973, and he became a partner at Alexander and Holmes CPAs. He eventually started his own CPA firm, Johnson & Koonce.

Richard was a member of Holy Angels Catholic Church where he enjoyed daily Mass. He was a

lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus, a member of the Sons of the American Revolutionary

War, a lifetime member of the TSCPA, an Honorary Member of the AICPA, and a member of the

Kiwanis Club in Dyersburg.

He was a loving husband, father, father-in-law and grandfather. His loved ones referred to him as

"Big Dog". Before his health began to fail, he enjoyed golf and evening walks.

Pallbearers are Whit Johnson, Woods Johnson, Matthew Johnson, Chris Cobb, Frank Pierce and Tim

Wolk. Honorary Pallbearers are George Winters, Jim Kennedy, Les Sides, and Wayne Alley.

Visitation will be on Sunday June 12th from 3 pm to 5 pm at Curry Funeral Home, 1984 St. John

Avenue Dyersburg, Tennessee. The rosary will be recited at 5:30 pm. The funeral Mass will be at

10:30 am on Monday, June 13th at Holy Angels Catholic Church, 535 Tucker Street Dyersburg,

Tennessee 38024. Curry Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

ln lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Bell Fund at Holy Angels Catholic Church or St. Jude Children's Hospital.