Ralph Johnson

Ralph Randolph Johnson was born April 7th, 1930, in Louisa, Virginia. One of eight children, he is survived by Martha Ann, Wade Johnson and Don Johnson; daughter, Robin and son, Randy, deceased. Two grandchildren, Dan and Nathan. He attended the Louisa County Public Schools; at the age of eighteen, he joined the Marines. Due to superior results, he was sent to OTC. There, in conjunction with officers and generals, they developed the "Manager Air Force/DSA Program in Washington."
Later, he had the rare privilege of working with Rear Adm. Grace Hopper and others. They developed programs to teach computers to talk, in English and many other languages. He was then appointed VP of Sperry Rand's Federal Systems Division. Intrigued by the opportunity to be President of a start-up communications company, in conjunction with extraordinary talent, there emerged several; to name a few: Comcast, Datran, Telenet, OTI, etc. (Special recognition is given to Yousef Javadi for his brilliant contributions and loyalty). Ralph leaves a legacy of energy and forever optimism - anything is possible. He eventually retired from MCI in 1996. Ralph Johnson was an international figure who loved the big city: Washington, NYC, London, Mexico City, but he always loved to come home to Reston, VA.
As a retiree, he moved to Hendersonville, TN, with then wife, Evelyn Johnson and grandchildren, Zach and Sevaynna. He had time and opportunity to pursue sports, his first love. An athletic grandson benefitted greatly - years of baseball, football, golf, travel teams, cleaning equipment - lifetime memories. There are also many young men who called him "Grandpa." He would load the van with boys, equipment and coolers. Daily trips to school, driving lessons, first dates, art of intelligent conversation - priceless lessons learned. Sevaynna's interests were greatly enhanced by hours of interchange. He loved this segment of his life. Of course, there were 20+ years of breakfasts with beloved friends: "Leann and Bob."
An international figure, Ralph leaves an indelible mark on the communications industry. He will be missed.
Ralph's wishes were to be in care of Hendersonville Funeral Home in Hendersonville, TN and that his remains be transported to Louisa, VA so that his ashes be spread on the fields of Green Springs, VA., his childhood home.