Hershey Johnson

Hershey Johnson was born to Phillip Harris and Jennie V. Johnson Wilson in the small town of Clarence, La. His family moved to Shreveport, La. when he was still a young boy, and he graduated from Booker T. Washington High School. Hershey is preceded in death by his parents; sisters Phyllis Hill and Gloria Smith; brothers-in-law Thomas Robertson, Ozzie Moseley, William Lacy, and James Brooks; and son-in-law Alexander Davis.
Hershey found love in and married fellow Grambling alumnus, Syble Robertson Johnson. They married June 6, 1968. He is the father of three adult children, Cynthia Davis, Timothy Johnson, and Jomaquai Anules Jenkins.
Hershey was drafted into the U.S. Army and sent off to serve one tour of duty in the South Republic of Vietnam in 1969. After his return from the war-torn country in 1970, he was more determined than ever to remain faithful to his educational goal and obtained his BA in Pre-Social Work from his beloved Grambling College in 1971. Upon moving to California, Mr. Johnson continued his educational pursuits, gaining a Master of Arts degree in Public Service from the University of San Francisco in 1979.
Hershey became the 200th proud life-time member of the Grambling State University Alumni Association, in which he founded the Stockton, CA chapter and assisted students with gaining scholarships to GSU. In 1991, he truly demonstrated his belief in the importance of higher education by creating a scholarship in his wife's name (Syble R. Johnson), through the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. That scholarship remains active to this day.
Hershey quickly climbed up the ladder of success within the California Department of Corrections (CDC) and the California Youth Authority (CYA). He worked tirelessly and effortlessly for the State of California and its employees,, the Stockton PTA Council, the NAACP, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the VFW.
Hershey leaves to mourn his passing his loving and dedicated wife of 55 years, Syble Robertson Johnson; daughter Cynthia Davis; sons Timothy Johnson and Jomaqui Jenkins; sisters Andrea Lacy, Jacqui Brooks, and Mary Walker; brother Alvin Walker (Sandra); sisters-in-law Charlie Thompson, Gladys Moseley, and Freddie R. Jackson; granddaughters LaTasha Kearise, LaToya Kearise, Candace Kearise and Synijah Johnson; grandsons Synceer Johnson and Timothy Johnson; great grandson Brian Cradic; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, family members, and friends.
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