The Right Reverend Robert Hodges Johnson

Asheville, NC- Bob Johnson returned to his Maker and Redeemer on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, taking a love-filled heart and the biggest smile in the world with him. He had just celebrated his ninety-first birthday. Dementia had devastated his once incredible memory but not the man he was: a joyful, grateful, living alleluia. He and his wife, Julie, had also recently celebrated 63 years of a wonderful life together. Bob was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 1, 1934 to William Weakley Johnson and Marjorie Philips. His two brothers, Paul and William (Billy), also predeceased him. He is survived by his wife, Julie, and their two children, Robert, Jr. (Rob and Jenny Meyer) and Katharine Guerrant (Jeff). They have been blessed with five grandchildren, Julia Guerrant Smith (Mitchell), Jeffrey and Benjamin Guerrant, Robert, III (Bo), and Eleanor (Ellie) Johnson and their mother, Pam, as well as four nephews: Kelly (Bonnie), Mark (Debbie), Philips (Marty) and Stephen Johnson, and niece Yvonne Johnson Hinton. After graduating from the University of Florida, Bob served as an artillery officer in the US Army from 1957 to 1960. From there he went to Virginia Theological Seminary, earning a Masters of Divinity. Both VTS and the University of the South later conferred on him a Doctor of Divinity. Returning to Jacksonville to begin his ministry, he was ordained to the diaconate in 1963 and the priesthood in 1964. For five years, he served two small missions while starting a new church. Later he served as Canon Pastor at St. John's Cathedral. In 1972 he was called to be the rector of Holy Innocents Church in Sandy Springs, a northern suburb of Atlanta, where he remained for seventeen years. While there, the parish and parochial school grew significantly, as did their outreach ministries. Elected by the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina in November of 1988, he was consecrated Coadjutor March 11, 1989 and installed as the Diocesan Bishop in 1990. Bob loved every job he ever had because each gave him the opportunity to share his life and ministry with many people. He felt privileged to be among them and to support their lives and ministries, individually and collectively. He had a deep commitment to the overlooked, the marginalized and those in need. During the time he was Bishop, Bob hired the first fulltime youth minister and birthed the Latino/Hispanic ministry at La Capilla de Santa Maria in Hendersonville. Working with lay and community leaders, he helped establish the diocesan Commission to Dismantle Racism, now the Beloved Community Committee. A firm believer in "bear ye one another's burdens," Bob's commitment to outreach ministry led the diocese to raise $3.25 million for outreach ministries to commemorate its 100th anniversary in 1995. In the early 1990s, he began meeting with a small group of clergy to discuss how LBTG+ persons might be better included in the Christian community. Out of these conversations evolved his policy: he would fully support any congregation that chose to bless same-sex unions (marriage was not legal at the time), and he would, likewise, fully support any congregation that was not ready to do so – a policy that received considerable blow-back from many other bishops but over the years was also adopted by many. In the final years of his episcopate, he led the process to purchase Lake Logan and surrounding property, just south of Waynesville, in order to relocate Camp Henry and the diocesan conference facilities. This enabled both ministries to expand exponentially and provided a place where young people could nurture each other and encounter the Holy in the midst of God's magnificent creation. Active in the church at the national level as a priest, as bishop Bob continued to be so, serving as a member of the Executive Council, the Church Pension Fund, and as President of the 4th Province House of Bishops, comprised of the twenty southern dioceses. After retirement in 2004, he was asked by the Presiding Bishop to assist the Diocese of Southern Virginia in 2006 and the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 2008, both of which were dealing with difficult situations. Afterwards, having failed his first retirement, he and Julie began his second, hiking and traveling together towards the inevitable finish line. God is good! Special thanks go to the staff in the Skilled Nursing unit at Deerfield who cared for Bob so lovingly during the final two months of his life. A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at Trinity Episcopal Church. Memorials may be made to either Lake Logan Conference Center (25 Wormy Chestnut Lane, Canton 28716), Pisgah Legal Services (62 Charlotte St., Asheville28801), Deerfield Charitable Foundation (1617 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville 28803) or any charity of your choice. Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian is assisting the family.