CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) Retired SFC Phillip Johnson, 74, passed away on Tuesday, April 14, 2020.
Johnson, a Clarksville native, retired from the U.S. Army with a career in military intelligence during the Vietnam era and was formerly stationed at Fort Bragg, NC.
After retiring from the Army, Johnson went to school and became a barber, a career in which he excelled.
Most in Clarksville knew Johnson for his role in the Clarksville community as the one-time owner of Johnson’s Barber and Styling Shop, and a licensed barbering instructor, master barber and cosmetologist. He was an instructor at Queen City Barber College and was on the state board in Nashville.
His former shop, located in a plaza on Wilma Rudolph Boulevard near the Trenton Road intersection, was known for being one of the first black barbershops in St. Bethlehem when it opened in the early 1980s.
His personality kept people coming back to the shop for years for haircuts, conversation, and a sense of community.
“He was knowledgeable about so many things,” said Annie McHenry, his sister. “He could remember a whole lot of stuff about people who lived here and could tell people he knew their relatives. He had a story for everything.”
His personality was extremely likeable and friendly, she said.
“He had a personality of someone you want to be around all the time. He joked and made people laugh,” she said. “You could go to him or call him for advice. He had the answer for everything.”
Johnson was proud of his family heritage. He came from a tradition of Clarksville black business owners. His father, William Cave Johnson, Sr. owned a mechanic shop on Sixth Street and later an antique shop. His brother had a barber shop on Sixth Street. A photo of his brother, William Cave Johnson, Jr.,is in the Montgomery County Court Complex.
William Cave Johnson, Sr. was known for building race cars and the photo shows the day his oldest son won a race in New Providence.
Phillip Johnson was born October 30, 1945 in Clarksville to William Cave Johnson, Sr. and Annie Wilcox Johnson. He graduated from Campbell University in North Carolina.
“He was the seventh child of eight. I was next to him. I was the baby. We were so close. He always made me laugh,” McHenry said. “He was so free-hearted to so many. We never asked for anything. He would come with something brand new as a gift for us. Just because he loved us. He did that for so many people. He protected me from so much. He was just sweet, kind and gentle as a person.”
McHenry said he talked her into becoming a barber to give herself more opportunities. When she attended school, he was her instructor. He was always trying to help his family and friends better themselves, she said.
“I want people to remember the good heart that he had and how he helped people. He was always there to help someone because he wanted to be known for helping others,” McHenry said. “Our mother raised us to help others. We didn’t have much to give but we gave what we could give. He always took that to heart. To bless somebody else.”
Johnson was married for more than three decades to Barbara Johnson. He is preceded in death by his parents and four brothers.
He leaves to cherish his memory, three sisters: Annie (Dennis) McHenry, Betty Jean (James) Ware, and Emma Thomas. During his life, he had two children, a daughter, Diane Makki and a son, Philip M. Johnson, II and two grandchildren. He also had a host of loving nieces and nephews.Phis
Due to social distancing protocol, a public memorial service for Johnson will be held at a later date at his graveside.
He will be buried at the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery – West in Hopkinsville, Ky. following a very small family service at Foston Funeral Home.