William J. Johnson "Bill", FASLA passed away on September 10, 2024, at the age of 92.

 
Bill served on the LAF Board of Directors from 1987 to 1996 and as the President in 1992. He was awarded the LAF Medal in 2020 for his work in planning, education, and landscape architecture.

William founded Johnson, Johnson, and Roy in 1961 in Ann Arbor, Michigan alongside Carl Johnson and Clarence Roy and was first commissioned for the master plan for the University of Michigan. In the 70s, JJR merged with Smith, Hinchman & Grylls (SHG) to form SmithGroup. Shortly thereafter in 1975, Johnson retired to become the Dean at the School of Natural Resources at the University of Michigan for eight years and as a professor of Landscape Architecture for 30 years. The firm continues as SmithGroup today and continues to work in land use and development planning.

Bill was born in Lansing, Michigan where he lived on his family's farm. These early experiences gave him the assurance to pursue landscape architecture. He received his BLA from Michigan State University in 1954 and later received a degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1957. A Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Bill received the Society's Gold Medal, its highest honor, in 1986.

He is survived by wife, Charlotte Johnson, and by the mother of his children, Nancy, along with his children Cheryl Smith, Mark Johnson, Kevin Johnson; his stepchildren Mark Ouimet and Courtney Ouimet; nine grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and sister-in-law, Janet Johnson.

A memorial service will be held at Pillar Church in Holland, Michigan on Wednesday, October 9, at 1:00 P.M.