William Worth “Butch” Johnson, Jr., age 68, of North Myrtle Beach, SC, formerly of Sanford, NC died Monday, May 9, 2016.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM Thursday, May 12, 2016 at Ocean Drive Presbyterian Church in N. Myrtle Beach.  A second memorial service will be held Saturday, May 14th at 11:00 AM at First Baptist Church in Sanford with Rev. Keith Miller officiating.  The family will greet friends following the service in the church fellowship hall.

Butch was born July 30, 1947 in Norfolk, VA.  He was the son of the late William Worth and Lucy Matthews Johnson.  He was a graduate of Sanford Central High School.  He was a former police officer with the Sanford Police Department, retired with the State of North Carolina as a Magistrate and was currently employed by James C. Greene Company for over 40 years.

Other than his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother Eddie Darrell Johnson and his first wife, Sylvia Mitchell Johnson.

He is survived by wife , Charlene Platt Johnson of North Myrtle Beach, SC; a daughter Renee Davis Thomas and husband Jamie of Sanford; step-daughter Vonna Gengo of Conway, SC; two grandchildren Kaitlyn Nicole Thomas and William Seth Thomas both of Sanford; step-grandchildren Stephen and Ryan Gengo and Hunter Baiden all of Conway, SC.  He also is survived by sister Janet Johnson Carter and brother-in-law Charlie of Aberdeen, NC.

Butch was an avid sports fan and loved attending all sporting events from cheerleading, golf, football, wrestling and baseball in which his grandchildren participated.  He was a die-hard Tar Heel fan and proudly displayed his “Tar Heel Grandparent” sticker on his cars.  His love of cars and trucks was shared with his grandson Seth.  Butch was a huge supporter of local law enforcement over the years from the Sanford Police, Lee County Sheriff and Highway Patrol to his run for Sheriff and Lee County Commissioner.   His service as a Magistrate fulfilled his career in another branch of law enforcement.  He loved laughing, telling jokes and playing pranks on others.  He took great pride in his yard and loved working on it for hours on end.  Butch was always so full of life and loved his family and friends greatly.

The family asks that current and former law enforcement sit together at the service on Saturday.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 950 48th Ave. North, Suite 101, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 or CARA in memory of his long-time companion Buddy, PO Box 2642, Sanford, NC 27331 or to the charity of your choice.

 Service Information