Robert H. "Bob" Johnson
Robert H. "Bob" Johnson died on Sat., August 25, 2007 of a stroke.He was born in Colorado City, Texas on May 28, 1923. He married Luise Putcamp jr in 1945 in Washington D.C. He served in the U. S Marine Corps as a 1st lieutenant in World War II and the Korean War.
He was a reporter for the Phoenix Gazette, a sports writer for The Arizona Republic, a newscast writer for The Arizona Network, Phoenix. He worked for the Associated Press for 42 years, beginning his career in 1946 in the Dallas bureau. He was Utah-Idaho Chief of Bureau in Salt Lake City from 1954 to 1959, the Indiana Chief of Bureau from 1959 to 1962, the Texas Chief of Bureau from 1962 to 1969. He spent 15 years at the wire service headquarters in New York as General Sports Editor (1969-1973), as Managing Editor (1973-1977), as Assistant General Manager for Administration and Special Assistant to the President (1977 - 1984). In 1984, Bob and his wife Luise fulfilled a years-long desire to return to the Southwest, where he retired, in 1988, as New Mexico Chief of Bureau. He taught classes in journalism at New Mexico State University at Las Cruces and the University of New Mexico. He helped found the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government and was its executive director until his death. He was a member of the University of New Mexico Student Publications Board, Albuquerque Bench-Bar-Media Committee and former member of the New Mexico Historical Advisory Board.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Hersel Johnson and Leah Sikes Johnson, and a brother, Paul T. Johnson. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Luise Putcamp Johnson; son R.H. Johnson of New York; five daughters, Luise Robin Poulton of Salt Lake City, Jan Leah Tapia of Albuquerque, Stephanie Neale Niketic of Newburyport, Mass. and son-in-law Novak Niketic; Jennifer Anne Robyn of Monroe, Conn., and Ann Tapia Johnson of Salt Lake City; four grandsons and three granddaughters; and a brother, Richard Sikes Johnson of Denver.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday at Sandia Presbyterian Church, 10704 Paseo del Norte NE. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, P.O. Box 92197, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87199.