Walter Edwin Johnson

October 27, 1930 - December 13, 2022

The man who hitchhiked to his own wedding in a white dinner jacket has left us. Walter passed away suddenly at home aged 92 after a long, intellectual, and entertaining life. To answer the first question a San Franciscan asks, he went to St. Ignatius High School (1948) then to USF (1952). He was the son of Edwin Walter and Rose (Mitchell) and grew up in the Glen Park neighborhood of San Francisco.

At USF, he was editor of the school paper The Foghorn. He was an ROTC member and became a First Lieutenant in the US Army, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in Psychological Warfare.

Walt met his loving wife Roberta ‘Bobbie’ (Rohlfes) during college and they married as soon as his Army stint finished in 1954. Walt originally worked in journalism starting in daily and weekly publications in Alameda County before becoming an Oakland Tribune reporter. With four small children, he earned an M.A. from UC Berkeley so he could move into teaching. His lifelong interests included literature, classic movies, and sports, especially baseball.

He had a long career at West Valley College, Saratoga, where he was a popular, effective English teacher. After retirement in 1991, he continued to teach a few courses a year.

Walt was an active Roman Catholic all his life. He served as a lector, server, and Eucharistic Minister for many years in both of the San Lorenzo Valley’s parishes, St. John’s, Felton and St. Michael’s, Boulder

Creek.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 43 years Bobbie and eldest daughter, Lauren Clapham. He is survived by his only sister Beryl Reilly (Jim). He leaves behind his six surviving children, Eric Johnson (Ounza) Cathy Fennelly (Frank), Kurt Johnson (Melina), Karen Bria (Todd), Jill Davis (Brian), Jessica Corona (Pedro), 17 grandchildren, and 5 greatgrandchildren at last count. He was very proud of his entire family and interested in their accomplishments and studies. At any family gathering, he could be counted on to deliver a witty and engaging speech.

Our Patriarch of Ben Lomond will be very much missed, but we are thankful for his long and fruitful life. He had extra innings but the game is over.

Visitation will take place at Benito & Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel, Santa Cruz on Tuesday, December 20, 2022 from 3:00 pm, finishing with a vigil at 7:00 pm. The funeral mass will be held at St. John’s Catholic Church, Felton on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at 11:00 am followed by reception and private burial. Walt and Bobbie were the very first couple married at St. John’s.