Douglas Wayne Johnson

1949 - 2021

Early Monday morning, January 18, 2021, Douglas Wayne Johnson went home to be with the Lord. Doug was born in Suffolk Virginia on January 5, 1949 to F. Curtis and Mae Johnson of Suffolk, Virginia. Doug grew up in Suffolk and attended George Mason School, Grades 1 - 3, Thomas Jefferson, Grades 4 - 7, and graduated from Suffolk High School in 1967. He attended Virginia Tech in Blacksburg and has been a Hokie fan ever since. He attended and graduated from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia on May 13, 1979 earning his degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. At the age of sixteen, Doug began working at J & E Auto Supply which his father, Curtis Johnson co-founded September 1, 1945 and continued to work there until March 2020 due to Covid, and made the decision to work from home. He was only weeks from his retirement date. Doug is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Mary Sue Johnson; children Brian and wife Nellie of West Virginia, and Scott and wife April of Suffolk, Virginia. His grandchildren are Bethany and David of West Virginia. Also, MaryDouglas and Victoria of Suffolk, Virginia. He is survived by his brother, Fred Johnson and his wife Anne of Lynchburg, Virginia, and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents F. Curtis and Mae Williams Johnson previously of Suffolk, Virginia. If you were to ask Doug what he was proudest of - it would be his family. He was so proud of his sons, Brian and Scott. He adored his granddaughters and grandson to carry on the family name. Poppa as he was affectionally known was a very happy man. Doug and Mary Sue met at Coppolos, a hamburger restaurant in Suffolk where kids went after school. They dated and were married September 18, 1971 at Providence Methodist Church in Suffolk, Virginia. A day well remembered as it was a very hot day; the temperatures in the 90's, and at that time, the church did not have air conditioning. There was great concern that the groom was going to pass out. Thankfully, all was well. In his earlier years, following in the footsteps of his father, Curtis, Doug loved to play golf at the Suffolk Golf Course. However, where sports were concerned, he was a life long fan of the Virginia Tech Hokies along with his brother, Fred. Many times after a game, they would talk on the phone about what went well and what went wrong. In our home, cheers could be heard from room to room during a Hokies game. Mary Sue never had to ask how the game was going when things got quiet. The silence spoke for itself. Doug was a member of First Baptist Church, Main Street, Suffolk, Virginia and taught Sunday School for several years. He taught College Career from 1976 to 1977. He was Outreach Leader for Adult III in 1993. He served on Usher Committee intermittently from 1977 to 1986. He served on Committee on Committees 1981 and 1982. In 1994, Doug served on the Building and Grounds Committee. In 1978 he served as Teller. From 2009 to 2010, Doug taught a Couples Class. A fellow Sunday School member remembered Doug as always prepared to teach and hungry for the Word. Doug was a member and avid supporter of the VAWA known as the Virginia Automotive Wholesalers Association, Inc. located in Richmond, Va. This was the official organization for the Automotive and Truck Parts Industry in Virginia. The VAWA offered many services to automotive jobbers all dedicated to the prosperity of the Automotive Industry in Virginia. J and E Auto Supply Co. was one of the founding members of the VAWA. Doug served as Director of District 1, and in 1986 became a member of the President's Club. He was presented the Hall of Fame Award in recognition of his unselfish efforts and contributions dedicated to the further development of this association. In October of 1987, Doug was recognized as MAN OF THE YEAR for outstanding service rendered to the Virginia Automotive Wholesalers Association. This was given to Doug based on what new ideas he brought to benefit fellow auto jobbers; implementing new computer concepts and the ability to teach his ideas to others. He received a Certificate of Achievement for completing the Jobber Management Program from the Graduate School of Business University of Pittsburgh in conjunction with PPG Industries in April 1986. In 2005, Doug was awarded a certificate for completion of the NAPA Store Management School. Doug was Co-Owner and Vice President of Beamon & Johnson, Inc., 149 S. Saratoga Street, Suffolk, Virginia. On March 25, 1998, Doug and Donnie Beamon came together to form a winning team. They had known each other most of their lives. Their families were competitors each owning an automotive store in Suffolk, Virginia, right across the street from one another. After a generation of vying for much of the same business, Beamon and Johnson joined forces. As it turns out, it was a very good idea. They started with three stores between them. Donnie had two and Doug had one. Today, they currently have 17 locations in Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. In addition, they have earned NAPA's Five Star award fourteen times. Doug served in the United States Army Reserves from June, 1971 to May 1976 with an Honorable Discharge. Doug lived a full and happy life. In his teen years, he owned a very yellow 1965 Chevrolet Malibu with a black convertible top. He enjoyed many good times with his high school buddies cruising. He absolutely loved the family dog, Otis, a Shih-Tzu/Poodle mix. When Doug had a recent stay in the hospital, Otis could be found on a rug near the front door waiting for him to come home. In their younger years, Doug and Mary Sue made many trips to the Ocean Front at Virginia Beach catching some rays. A private service will be held at Parr Funeral Home. Burial with military honors will be held at Holly Lawn Cemetery in Suffolk, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First Baptist Church Building Fund or the Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad and Suffolk Volunteer Fire Department. Many thanks to the caregivers and staff of Sentara Home Health Care of Suffolk and Hearthland Hospice in Suffolk, Virginia and Dr. Jeffrey Foreman of Suffolk.