Colonel Floyd J. Johnson Jr., United States Marine Corps, Retired

Colonel Floyd J. Johnson Jr., USMC(Ret), age 93, eldest son of Floyd J. Johnson Sr., and Gladys Smith was born in Meridian, Miss., on June 14, 1929, and grew up in Starkville, Miss. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church where he served as a Deacon and an Elder.

He was a graduate of Starkville High School and Mississippi State University, Class of 1951, where he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. He was a four-year baseball letterman and pitched on the 1948 and 1949 Southeastern Conference Champion baseball teams. He was a member of the MSU Alumni Association, MSU Bulldog Club, and served as a past president of the MSU Alumni lettermen "M Club." He was inducted into the Mississippi State Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. One of his proudest moments was witnessing Mississippi State's Baseball Team win the College World Series in 2021.

Colonel Johnson joined the Marine Corps in April 1952 and was commissioned in Sept. During his career he held significant assignments including Commanding Officer of the Second Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment; Chief of Logistical Plans and Operations for Allied Forces Southern Europe, in Naples, Italy; and, Chief-of-Staff, Fleet Marine Force Europe, in London. He was a graduate of the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He served in the Vietnam War with the Seventh Marine Regiment, Third Marine Division. His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit with Combat "V", 3 Meritorious Service Medals, the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V", the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, and the Navy-Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon. He retired from active duty in 1982, Following military retirement, he became the Executive Director of the Starkville Housing Authority until his retirement in 2006. A Life Scout and longtime Adult Scout Leader; he was the recipient of the Silver Beaver Award from the Pushmataha Council, Boy Scouts of America.

Floyd was married to the former Carolyn A. Luhman, deceased in 1987, and Lillian Beech, deceased in 2004.

He is survived by his wife Sheila of Starkville, and four children; Floyd J. Johnson III, of Wallace, North Carolina; Thomas M. Johnson of Pulaski, Virginia; Frank D. Johnson of Easthampton, Massachusetts; and Laura R. Grandfield of Starkville, Mississippi.

Visitation is scheduled for Monday, June 27, 2022, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Starkville, Miss., with the funeral service immediately following. Rev. Bob Whiteside and Dr. Martin Lifer will conduct the service. Burial will be in Oddfellows Cemetery.

You can leave the family a condolence at: www.welchfuneralhomes.com.