CONWAY — James H. Johnson,
a retired nursing home owner and longtime resident of Conway, died September 19, 2020, after an extended illness. He was born in Quitman on March 24, 1932, to Norma Warbritton Johnson and Hulon H. Johnson.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Irene Ferrier Johnson; and two grandchildren, Katrina Glenn and Riannon Johnson. Survivors include his daughter, Jacalyn Johnson Glenn. and her husband, Herschel Burt Glenn, and his son, Mark Allen Johnson, all of Conway. Other survivors include four grandchildren, Kimberly Glenn, Herschel Burt (Bubba) Glenn II, Tiffany Johnson, and Carrin Johnson. Also surviving are his brother, Bill Johnson (Rosanne), along with 11 great-grandchildren.
He was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Conway. He was a supporter of the University of Central Arkansas athletic programs through his membership in the Purple Circle Club, and he and Irene were patrons of Reynolds Performance Hall at UCA.
His father looked at him shortly after birth and said “he’s not bigger than a peanut” and the nickname stuck with him throughout his life. Peanut was a graduate of Conway High School and attended Arkansas State Teachers College (now UCA). Shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War, he and several other buddies from Conway enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. After basic training in San Antonio, Texas, his first duty station was in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he met his wife. He was later deployed with his family to Istanbul, Turkey. This was at the peak of the Cold War, and he and his unit manned a listening post on the Black Sea to monitor Russian radio activity. After his tour in Turkey, he returned to the states and was assigned to set up civilian Ground Observer Corps in Arkansas and Missouri, again a portion of Cold War defense preparations. He was in the military for eight years.
Mr. Johnson’s career in the nursing home industry included managing nursing homes in Wynne and Jacksonville. He returned to Conway and purchased an interest in Meadowlake Nursing Home. He then acquired full ownership and constructed and developed St. Andrew’s Nursing and Rehab in Conway.