(Johnson family)
We were saddened to learn of the death of Robert Johnson, a tireless advocate for fair housing in Orange County. Bob collaborated with OC Human Relations on many initiatives and was recognized, alongside Dorothy Mulkey, with an OC Human Relations Awards for his efforts in 2014.
Bob’s 2014 Award was introduced as follows:
Robert Johnson has been deeply involved in advocacy for fair housing issues in Orange County. In 1961, Johnson, his wife, Lois, and their three children moved to Orange County to live in the city of Tustin. In 1966, he began almost three decades of work to eliminate segregation of African Americans in the county through the Orange County Fair Housing Council. In 1969, he was elected chair of its Board of Directors and continued on to serve as an officer through 1995. In 1981, he received the “Fair Housing Volunteer of the Year” award from the Community Relations Conference of Southern California. Johnson currently is a Board member of the Orange County Community Housing Corporation, which he co-founded in 1978 to provide housing for extremely low-income people, and is on the Board of the Santa Ana Black Historical Society. He has B.S. and M.S. degrees in engineering from UCLA, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Bob has truly left a legacy in Orange County, and we are gratified to have had the opportunity to work with him. Our sincere condolences to his wife, Lois, his children, and other family and friends.
Read a tribute article by LA Times columnist Gusatvo Arellano HERE
Leave a Reply