Charles Stanley Johnson Jr

Charles Stanley Johnson, Jr., 78, of midtown Memphis, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 14th 2021. Stanley was born on August 14th, 1943 in Jacksonville, Florida to Stan and Marian Johnson. The family lived in Ormond Beach, Florida. Stanley would go onto meet his wife of 54 years, Billie Jeanne Baxter, of Memphis, on the beach where he was a lifeguard, while she was driving her red convertible. After a long-distance courtship of five years they married in 1966, settling in midown Memphis and never left.

Stanley was a gifted pianist and storyteller. He never knew a stranger and was always the life of the party. He enjoyed boating, reading books on World War II, fixing anything mechanical and tinkering on a vast variety of things and passing on the knowledge to his children and grandchildren or anyone who would listen. He loved telling jokes and pulling pranks, airplanes, and cooking outdoors on his smoker. One could often find him at Bob’s Barksdale having breakfast, P&H Café, watching a Nascar or Grand Prix Race, at Pickwick sailing on his boat the Unicorn or listening to live music at Huey’s with a pitcher of beer, but most often, every evening in Williamson Park with his dogs and neighbors. He is memorialized as “Monk” in his niece, Marian Tomblin’s, historical fiction book series about his misadventures with childhood buddies growing up in Ormond Beach.

Stanley was a pioneer in bringing sailing to the city of Memphis, where he owned Watersports, Inc. He would later sell the business to focus on marine surveying and open Riverport Marine Surveying, Inc. He served as past president of The Propeller Club of the United States Port of Memphis, Memphis World Trade Club, and Memphis Claims Association. Other organizations that he was a part of and respected were Daytona Beach Lifeguard Association, Toast Masters, Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors, National Association of Marine Surveyors, and International Association of Marine Investigators.

He is survived by his wife, Billie Jeanne Johnson and their three children, Jeanne Johnson Helms (Greg) of Chattanooga, TN; Melissa Johnson Spann (Steve) of Marietta, GA and C. Stanley Johnson III (Amanda) of Memphis, TN; six grandchildren, and his beloved sister, “Snooks,” Elizabeth Johnson Strong and his three nephews and niece and their children, all of Ormond Beach, Florida.

A celebration of life will be held at Grace-st. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Memphis, TN on Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 11am. A family and friend gathering will follow at 286 Stonewall and Williamson Park weather permitting.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to www.livinglandsandwaters. org, Grace-st. Luke’s Episcopal Church or your favorite charity.

Gone from us, but leaving memories death can never take away, memories that will always linger while upon this earth we stay.