Pierce Johnson

Dr. Pierce Johnson, Jr., 92, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina died peacefully April 2, 2026 with his beloved wife by his side. He was born on September 14, 1933 in Jacksonville, Florida. He enjoyed exploring the many different states that his career took him to as well as international travel.

Pierce earned BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech, a PhD in electrical engineering from Auburn University, an MBA from the University of Kentucky and a MS in biology from Eastern Kentucky University. Having an insatiable curiosity for learning, he earned his fifth college degree in retirement after decades as an electrical engineer and as a holder of four patents in lighting innovations.

Nancy and Pierce met at a Canterbury Club mixer at an Episcopal church near the Georgia Tech campus. That was nearly 70 years ago. They became best friends and lifelong partners. Having been transferred by Philips Lighting to a plant near the Finger Lakes of New York, Pierce, who had grown up on the water in Florida, delighted in being able to sail again. There you could find Pierce sailing after a long day at work. He was a man of many interests and talents and could be found testing stream samples for pollutants, driving trunksful of glass bottles across state lines to recycle, loading the dishwasher after dinner, being a handyman for a widowed neighbor, wrestling his kids on the floor, or changing the diaper of a grandbaby.

It was inevitable that his children would be awakened to reveille since he served 20 years in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He loved his extended family dearly and when hiking with his nieces and nephews was often asked to slow down so they could catch up with him. He reveled in being outdoors…gardening, bird-watching, playing inter-generational ball games, swimming, skiing, sailing, canoeing, hiking and exploring national parks. His son-in-law confessed recently that he couldn’t admit that he was scared when surf kayaking in 4-foot swells if Pierce (in his 70’s) was delighting in the challenge.

Pierce was actively involved in church. He kept the nursery in his church in Missouri; he also team-taught Sunday School in Missouri and Kentucky with Nancy; he was an elder in Kentucky; served as chairman of the Christian Education committee at his church in Massachusetts and was found counting the offering money after worship service at First Presbyterian of Richmond, Kentucky the Sunday before moving to North Carolina. He was a member of Highland Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem.

In retirement Pierce encouraged fellow members of his Rotary Club to join him in ringing the bell for the Salvation Army at Christmastime for many years. He also enjoyed working on houses for Habitat for Humanity as well as improving hiking trails for the Nature Conservancy. He was a longtime advocate and supporter of higher education and generously gave to scholarship programs of many colleges as well as Beta Theta Pi fraternity and Phi Kappa Phi of which he was a member.

Pierce was preceded in death by his parents, Pierce Johnson, Sr. and Lily Wiegand Groot Johnson, and his sisters Shirley Farris Hagood, Janine Madison, and Joyce Palmer. He will be sorely missed by his wife, Nancy Alexander Johnson; son, Stephen Pierce Johnson (Andrea); daughters, Nancy Catherine Johnson (Brian), and Dr. Amy Johnson Williams; as well as his 5 grandchildren, Robert Johnson (Amaliah), Jennifer Johnson Vincent (Jeremy), Skylar Williams, Zeb Williams and Nathan Pierce Johnson; 4 great grandchildren, Samuel and Evelyn Johnson and Wesley and Wyatt Vincent; and countless nieces and nephews.

He embodied, honor God, love one another, and care for Creation. Twice a Paul Harris Fellow, as a Rotarian he lived by the club’s motto of “service above self”. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts may be made to the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Environmental Defense Fund, or “The Appreciation Fund” at Homestead Hills Retirement Community. A memorial service is planned for 2:00 PM, Friday June 12th at Highland Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina followed by a reception at Highland Presbyterian Church.