JAMES JOHNSON

Jimmy was one of my best friends in High School. We went everywhere together. I was a student at Lake Forest College when Jimmy arrived from Texas AM. I was a member of Delta Chi Fraternity where we lived in an old Mansion off-campus. We had a group of about 30 guys that Animal House could be storied from. Lol. I introduced Jimmy and he joined many parties making another good friend Teddy McNally whose Dad was Rand McNally Maps and we all proceeded to have just good clean college fun. One Freezing winter night during a party we were at a party, the House was Jam Packed, we were on the very top floor and we cracked open an old painted window and I was plucking ice sickles off the gutter and we were stirring our drinks with them. after I supplied what I could reach, I told Jimmy, hang on to my belt I'm going to hang out the window and grab a few more. Jimmy grabbed on, my buckle broke, and out I went bouncing off three old dormers and down three stories into the fluffy yard. Jimmy yelled " Ron fell out the window" the word spread and everyone ran out in the sideyard to find my dead body.

When they arrived I was sitting in the snow yelling at Jimmy in front of many others " why the hell did you let me go"  that story was around forever

I loved Jimmy, he went on to Roosevelt, and I stayed. We logged in many hours in Highwood including the Hideout which was Lake Forest's adopted bar, we went to Lake Michigan's Venitian Nights on Joan Bishop's Yacht, decorated like the south sea islands so we could hula hoop and have the music blaring. 

Later in life, we connected and I supplied his companies in Northbrook with Corporate Flowers and we would reminisce. Jimmy was always true to his calling and deeply in love with Barbara, he came from humble beginnings and his family difficulties but never lost his vision to succeed.

He was one of the coolest and classiest guys at HPHS, still see tall Jace walking through HPHS as we were homeroom buddies, always smiling with a pencil in his ear taking life seriously. Personally, this is one guy I will seriously miss, I hope lives end was not too harsh on the man, if it was, he deserved to just float away with the entire family right there, with Beautiful Barbara by his side.  

God Bless Jimmy Johnson. I miss you  Ron W